The Last Piece of Love
by WhatTheAirgear
Summary: Elena's life was screwed up, majorly, when she met Sam and fell in love with Dean. Now she's living the hunter life. After Dean's mark of Cain created the Deanmon, he left everyone confused and hurt. Elena has been trying in any way to save him with out hurting him, but now she is the weakness that can hurt, or help him, in the way he decides to use her. DeanxElena(OC)
1. Chapter 1

Authors note: Hello to followers! This story came to me while I was half asleep at 5a.m. Hope you enjoy! Only OC Elena and plot belong to me. Bye and thanks for reading! P.S.- Elena is a human.  
>"Dean… Please come back. You're not supposed to be like this!"<p>

"And you're not supposed to be like this." The demon-infected Dean gestured to her. "You're supposed to be the strong one, the one everyone relies on. But you hate it. You hate having to be brave all the time. You don't want people to trust you. Because you-"

Elena punched the demon in the face. "God damn it, Dean!"

Elena's thoughts were struck with the memory.

_Dean, can you keep a secret?_

_What's wrong?_

_I want to tell you about my past._

She turned away. "Dean. Sam is going to _hurt_ you."

"Then let it happen." He smirked. "He can't touch me."

"Dean! Please! Think about what the hell you're doing to everyone!"

He paused, smiling, as if amused by her outburst.

A soft knock at the door, made both their heads turn. "Elena. It's time."

"N- No! We can still save him!" She kneeled down, to sit on her knees, next to the chained Dean. "Dean, please! You can go back to being a human! Just please do it!"

"No."

Elena's heart skipped a beat. That simple word was enough to turn on the faucet that had been stuck in place for a long, long time. She began to cry. Sam was surprised, and shocked. Elena had always been the one to cheer people up. He hated to see how easily the demon turned her entire personality. All hope had been drained from her, as she sat, unmoving.

The Dean they didn't know, the evil stranger, he watched as she felt this loss. He felt amused, and barely paid attention to the small aching part of him. It seemed to grow and intensify, but he paid it no mind. It would pass if he left it alone.

Sam watched as Elena rose, no emotion shown. The only thing that hinted at misery and despair were the tears that fell from her eyes.

She walked out of the room, and as soon as the door closed, she sprinted, running the fastest that she could. She ran, and ran, and ran, not wanting to be able to stand any more. She felt herself slowing down, becoming exhausted, and soon she tripped, falling and falling. She would accept the pain when it came.

Except that it didn't. She felt herself being held up, by an angel of the lord, with a look of concern and understanding set on his face.

"Cas… He's doing it again." She whispered, weakly. Even though she was in the middle of a street, she felt as if she could hear what she'd heard before. Dean yelling out in pain, as he was administered the 'cure'. She felt bad for him, and even though she knew it wasn't he Dean she knew, she hated being apart from him, letting that side of Dean take control.

Elena closed her eyes, and when she opened them, she found that Castiel had moved them, using his powers to bring them back to the room Sam and Dean were holed up in. The bunker.

"Sam." Cas said his name from directly behind him, and Sam turned, the needle at the ready for the third injection to Dean's neck.

Elena focused her sight on the liquid inside. That's what was hurting Dean, his human and Demonic side. Each injection would bring him closer to human, but it would also hurt the human side, with so many close injections.

She wished that Sam would disappear, just long enough for the effect to wear off, so that he'd have to start all over again. Because by then, she was sure she could save Dean without harming him.

Sam looked down at her, Cas holding her up in his arms, and she locked eyes with him. Pure rage and anger flooded her thoughts, so much so, that Sam could see it in her eyes, as if they were on fire.

"What happened to her?"

"She ran so much that she's physically exhausted."

Cas peered around Sam at the demon, who looked as though he was ready to kill the angel.

"Put her-" The demon blurted out, before catching himself. In the back of his mind, the strange feeling was growing stronger. He forced it down. "Put her in the fiery pits of hell." He smiled, as if nothing was wrong.

Elena was drifting at the edge of consciousness, and didn't quite understand what was going on. She stared up at Castiel, noticing how his jaw line turned, and when he looked down at her in worry, she stared into his eyes, blinking slowly. His eyes looked like the sky for a moment, with the light glare creating clouds, but then she remembered they were eyes, not skies.

Her thoughts were ended as Castiel touched her forehead, and she fell asleep, the angel's power forcing her to.

Elena awoke, her head pounding. Sam was asleep in the bed beside her, and Castiel was nowhere to be seen. She climbed out of the bed quietly, pushing the covers off of her legs. She looked around, ensuring he wasn't in the room. She then walked toward the back hallway, leading to the basement, where the bunker was.

Quietly opening the door, she turned around, closing it just as silently. She then tiptoed down the staircase, just in case Sam could still hear her.

Once the staircase ended, and she was at the bottom, she rushed over to the entrance, unlatching the numerous heavy locks, and pulling open the door.

She looked around, trying to find the candle used for light down here. Her fingers grasped it, and her other hand felt for the lighter next to it. She lit the wick, and looked at the table she was at. It looked as though Sam had given Dean 7 of the required shots. She sighed, and turned around.

She gasped out in shock. Dean was up and had one arm leaning against the table behind her, the other around her waist.

"Elle."

"D- Dean?" She watched as he blinked, and his eyes became blacked out. "How did you get out?" She tried to lean around him for a look at the demon trap. A spot was smudged, the chains that once bound him, scattered on the ground next to the chair he had sat in.

She tried pushing him away, but he held on to her tighter. "I can't let you go anywhere."

He smiled at her cruelly.

"Now, now, Dean. A little respect for the lady." Crowley spoke from behind them, and Dean turned, still holding onto Elena.

She glared. "Crowley. So you released him."

"You didn't expect me not to search for him, did you?"

"And so why do need me?"

"Well, we can't let you telling the moose and angel where we were, now could we? I actually preferred that we kill you and be on our way, but our mutual friend here had something else in mind. You come with us."

She struggled under Dean's hold while Crowley spoke, but to no avail, as he still had a tight grip on her waist.

"Dean, let me go."

She looked over her shoulder, reaching for the demon blade on the table behind her, but Dean pulled her away from the table, grabbing her hand in his free one.

Their faces were close, but Elena instead was glaring at Crowley, who frowned questioningly at Dean.

"Why wait for me? Why not just leave?"

"Again, his idea." The king of hell smiled at her, but his eyes told that he was something was upsetting him. "In a few days, we should be able to dispose of you."

Dean glared at Crowley, who held up his hands "Again, a few days."

Elena looked to Dean, and he turned his face to hers. "Well. Looks like we can go now." He smiled.

She felt herself being touched by Crowley's power, and as soon as he snapped, they were all somewhere else, a hotel room fit with 2 beds.

Dean released her hand, and held her chin.

"I have some business to deal with, but expect me back. Soon." Elena felt the warmth of his hand disappear, as Crowley and Dean both left, teleporting to somewhere unknown to her.

As soon as they were gone, Elena reached into her pocket for her phone, but couldn't find it. It must have still been on the nightstand with Sam and Cas.

Elena looked up toward the ceiling. "Cas, if you can hear me, I need you." She looked back to the door, trying to open it. There were no locks or keyholes, but the doorknob wouldn't turn. She tried ramming into the door multiple times, and yelled out for someone. Nothing worked, so she walked over to the one window. As she went to pull back the curtain, she realized why Castiel hadn't come for her. The curtains were embroidered with angel runes, blocking all sense and power for an angel from the hotel room. Only Crowley would get it sewed onto the curtains. There was no hope for her to destroy them all unless she had scissors, which of course, were nowhere to be found. Nothing was in the kitchen.

She attempted to open the window, but it wouldn't budge, even when there were no locks. She kicked at the glass, but nothing happened, her foot just impacted as if hitting a wall. Being high off the ground meant no one could see the window she was banging on.

Counting the floors, she was stuck in the 7th story.

She sat down on the bed in defeat, no other ideas coming to her. She pounded her feet on the floor, but no one came up to her. She had jumped on the bed, banging her hands against the roof, but still, no one came to the door to complain.

She lied back on the mattress, feeling the softness of the blankets. She tried to check her pockets for anything useful, but only a rosary turned up, useless since the hotel water wasn't running to this room. The TV wouldn't turn on, and there wasn't even a bible in the desk drawer. She was alone, and afraid. She heard nothing but her own heart pounding, and the overwhelming hum of silence.

She tried to think of her situation in a positive way. At least she was with Dean. That seemed to be the only good thing about it.

Elena curled up, thinking of how much she wished she was back with Sam, and Cas, Dean still tied to a chair. Maybe she would have allowed Sam to continue. Maybe he would have stopped, and she could have convinced Dean to go back to normal.

She hugged her knees, lifting the blanket to cover her up to her shoulders. At least the problem had left the room. Maybe she would fall asleep and the nightmare would be over.

It had been 8 hours since Elena had fallen asleep, and she woke up now, bleary eyed, yawning. It was nighttime, she could tell from the lack of light behind her eyelids. She was calm and happy, until like a gunshot, she was reminded of her situation. She wasn't ready to open her eyes. She tried to fall asleep again, but she was already too far awake. She refused to open her eyes. But after sitting in the same position while awake, she felt like she had to get up and move. She peeked through her eyes, barely opening them.

What she saw startled her so much that she had frozen up, unmoving. There, lying so close to her, she was surprised she hadn't felt his breath on her, was Dean. She had the foolish hope that he was cured, but then realized that they were in _bed_ together.

Elena attempted to scoot back, but as soon as she tried to, she realized she was making too much movement. She shot her head back down, closing her eyes, until his breathing was even again. She felt uncomfortable, and didn't want to open her eyes again. Of course, she did.

She studied his sleeping face, noticing that none of his previous scars were there. She looked at how normal he looked while sleeping, no demonic signs about him.

She quickly felt creepy as she watched him sleep, but she couldn't stop. It was the only happiness she could feel. He looked human.

She shut her eyes, memories of him being happy flooding her memory, and she opened her eyes. She knew this wasn't the Dean she used to know, but she still felt that she loved him. He had always been a brother to her, and then other feelings had started to take over. She had to learn to put these aside while he was a demon.

She shut her eyes, and she though about him, and how to escape or get in contact with someone who could save her. She thought about this until the sunlight burned against her face, and she felt him adjust his position.

Elena peeked through one of her eyes, barely, and saw him staring at her, smiling slightly, as if he was calm and happy.

She shut the eye quickly. She knew what he was. She wished it was still nighttime, but of course it didn't work that way.

Dean hadn't moved for a while, he seemed to be thinking about something, and so Elena pretended to wake up. She acted as she would have had he not been sleeping last night.

"Wha-" She shot up and jumped backwards. "What are you doing?"

He sat up too "Well I _was_ sleeping." He looked over to Crowley's bed, which as empty. "Looks like he already left." He stood up off the bed, and walked over to Elena's side, where he pulled her up by her hand, helping her off the bed.

"Wh-What are you doing?" This time she was genuinely surprised.

"Didn't you already ask that question?" He smirked sarcastically, seeming like plain old Dean. But Elena knew better.

As soon as he held her hand, he snapped, and they were in a warehouse, Crowley talking to multiple demons a few feet away. "You, don't move." He instructed, and left to speak with Crowley.

Elena waited until his back was turned and ran. She hid behind one of the shelves full of boxes. She peered into one. It was empty. So were the others, she soon fund out.

_What do they need these things for?_ She wondered.

She turned around, and gasped, ready to yell out, until the demon covered her mouth.

"Well, well. A Hunter." The man smiled cruelly, and his eyes flashed black. "I'm sure you know what this means."

He turned her around, gagging her, and binding her wrists. He pushed her out from behind the shelves. Pushing her onto the ground behind Crowley. "Sir, I-" Blood poured from the demon's mouth, and his veins glowed. He dropped to the ground, and Dean stood in his place.

"Don't-" Dean cut himself off.

_Damn it!_ He thought angrily.

The other Demons looked at him questioningly. "She's mine to kill." He looked at each of them in turn. "Got that?" They quickly nodded, all replacing their looks of doubt with ones of fear. All except Crowley, who stared at Dean with a look of great suspicion.

The demons then dispersed, and Dean bent down to pick up Elena. She blinked, and they were suddenly back at the hotel room, and she was being placed down, untied, the cloth from her mouth removed.

Crowley sat on the chair next to the desk, and motioned for Dean to come over. Elena was mildly curious about their conversation, but didn't want to seem like she was eaves dropping, so instead she went into the bathroom to take a shower.

"Dean. What happened back there?"

"I lost control okay? It happens."

"So a demon, one of us, grabs her, and you feel like he should die for it?"

Dean didn't respond.

"You need to distance yourself from her. Wait until the blood moose gave you wears off. You're not yourself anymore."

"Fuck off, Crowley. I can get as close to her as I want."

He opened the door to the bathroom, where the sound of Elena taking a shower floated out.

"Dean." Crowley said, in a threatening tone.

Dean closed the door, sat on the floor at the entrance to the bathroom, closing his eyes and waiting.

Elena rinsed her hair well, removing the remainder of the shampoo from it. She turned off the water, squeezing out the water from her hair, and pulling the towel from the towel stand that was on the other side of the curtains. She only had to reach her arm out to find it.

She wrapped it around herself, after drying out her hair well. Elena then pulled back the curtains a bit, and quickly shut them when she saw Dean's stare.

"D-Dean?" She called out from behind the curtains. She was suddenly glad the towel was wrapped around her.

"Elle. We need to talk."

_What the hell could he possibly want?_

"I have to leave for a few days. Maybe three."

"Good."

Although the demon didn't want his feelings to take over, this still hurt him. "I'm going to be doing… something."

"Fine." She crossed her arms. How dare he leave her alone! And for _three days_?!

He sighed, silently so that she wouldn't hear him. "Tell me what you want so I can buy you food."

"I'm not hungry."

"You will be after three days. You didn't eat this morning or last night. Are you going to starve yourself?"

"If that's the only way out, then fine."

His genuine worry scared him, but he couldn't help but feel it. "Good. I won't have to waste my money on you."

"Besides, when did it matter what I wanted?"

"Alw-" He paused. "You're right, it doesn't matter."

"Finally, you told the truth for once!"

"Well at least I'm not an ungrateful bitch!"

"Grateful?! _Grateful_?!" She couldn't stop herself "Why would I be grateful to _you_? You _kidnapped_ me! You said you wanted to be the one that killed me! You said to 'Put her in the fiery pits of hell'! You think I'd be grateful to an ignorant _ass hole_ like you?"

Each word pained the other person, until they couldn't argue any more. They could only sit in silence.

"I'm sorry." He said, disgusted, but serious. He didn't enjoy his human feelings. He would do what Crowley told him to do, and distance himself from her.

"Don't be. _I'm_ sorry." She heard him get up and leave, and she stepped out of the shower to get dressed.

She then sat down at the table, where bags and bags of groceries were placed. She held her head in her hands. She knew he was a demon, but she was in love with him. Because the real Dean inside him was still alive. Escaping wouldn't help him. She had to use the little bit of human Dean left to bring him back.

She had to make him fall in love with her again.


	2. Chapter 2

Elena's eyes opened slowly. She looked around, seeing no one. Today was the day she escaped, she told herself, just like she had been every day before that. The food was going bad and the only one that showed up occasionally was Crowley, just to make sure she was alive and that she hadn't escaped.

She sat on the bed, waiting for him to show up. Soon, he sat across the room from her, smiling cruelly.

_Crowley_ she thought with venom.

"Hello, Ellen."

"Don't call me that."

He smiled wider. "Dean and I, well... looks like he's forgotten about you."

"Then why isn't he here with you?"

The slight falter in the King of Hell's smile was enough to tell he was lying. She glared at his fake act.

"He would have been here if he wasn't busy." Crowley stood, walking slowly to stand with his back to her. "Unfortunately he had people to murder in cold blood."

Elena stood slowly, approaching his turned back.

"If there's one thing you should know, Ellen..."

He turned, a match in his hand. "It's that I never turn my back to my opponent."

_Damn it_! Alarms were going off in her head, as he dropped the match and enhanced the flame with his power. She watched as it spread unnaturally, and he was gone when she looked up again.

She let her hunter instincts take over, her feet carrying her over to the window, where she held the edge of the curtains near the flame, until it caught fire. She was cornered in the back of the room, and she tried to avoid being burnt alive, while the angel blocking runes were being destroyed along with the curtain it was embroidered on.

The fire raced across the carpet, and she watched as the last of the cloth was burnt away.

_Cas! Get your feathered ass over here, now!_ She prayed quickly, and shut her eyes, holding up her arms to block the heat from the fire. Smoke was filling the room fast, and if she didn't suffocate first, then she'd be on fire soon enough.

Suddenly, the heat vanished, and she opened her eyes to the fire shrinking, the flickering light now blue and white, instead of orange and red. Castiel stood next to her, and grabbed her shoulder, ready to send them back to Sam. Then the angel froze, eyes staring off at something on the other side of the hotel room.

"Cas?" Elena followed his gaze, coughing and rubbing her eyes from the effect of the smoke. She locked eyes with the demon's cold ones.

"Elle. Cas."

Castiel moved to attack Dean, but Elena held him back. "Let's just go."

The angel didn't look away from Dean, even as he turned his body towards Elena.

"We need to get him back to Sam."

"Cas, no, let's just go!"

Elena's body felt heavy, and she realized Castiel's hand had been on her shoulder.

"Damn... Angelic... Bull shit..." She mumbled, falling to the ground, asleep.

"Don't-" The demon blinked, his eyes going black as he looked towards the ground for a second, as if reassuring himself. "Hardly fair to a human."

"As if you follow any rules."

Dean smiled, amused "Well, you got that right." He held out his hands, both in fists. Castiel glanced down at them and back up at Dean. "Well? Take me away."

Castiel let out a burst of angelic power, causing Dean to fall to the ground, paralyzed. He retrieved the demon handcuffs from his trench coat pocket, placing them over the demon's wrists. Dean was released from the paralyzing effect, and he pushed himself up to a standing position. "I'll carry her, you fly us back to Sam?"

"What makes you so confident?" The angel picked up Elena, holding her in his arms, and grabbing Dean's forearm.

"I just have a feeling that you and Sam won't be able to keep me long."

Elena woke up, her head pounding. She then sat up slowly, holding her head in one hand.

_What happened?_

She looked around, taking in her surroundings. She was in a bedroom, but in a house she didn't recognize. She pushed herself off the bed and cracked the door, peeking out. She saw Sam sitting on a couch, typing away on his computer. She opened the door more and stepped out.

"Sam? Where are we?"

"Nevada." He looked up from his work, then slightly laughed. "You look like you got in a bad fight…and lost."

"That's what I feel like. That, or an extremely bad hangover." She rubbed her eyes, sleepily. "So what happened after Cas knocked me out?"

"If you're asking about Dean, he's in the other room."

Elena took a seat on the other sofa nearby.

He sighed, looking back down at his laptop. "Don't sit down. I know you don't want to."

She looked out the window. "I know."

"He's upstairs on the left. First door. He's been asking about you since you all got back."

Elena's eyes shifted to the clock across the room. "When was that?"

Sam shook his head, seemingly disbelieving. "This morning, and yet he can't stop talking about you. Think he's losing his 'touch'." He used air quotes

"Thanks, Sam."

"No problem. Oh, and, Elle?" He looked up at her worriedly.

"Yeah?" She stood.

"Be careful. He's not…Dean. There might not be any Dean left in him for all we know."

"I-" Her voice faltered. "I know."

She left the room hurriedly, swallowing back the lump in her throat. At the foot of the stairs, she remembered when her, Sam, and Dean had first met.

When they were happy. As happy as they could ever be as hunters.

"_Can I get you anything?"_

"_Just a beer." Elena told the bartender, sitting down on the cool seat. The place was relatively empty except for a couple in the back, and a party of loud men a few tables away from the bar._

_Two people had entered behind her, and sat down a seat away. She didn't pay attention to them._

_A waitress came by, placing down her beer, and a glass of wine. "From the party of five." The waitress pointed at the wine, and then to the group of men that were staring at her, laughing and cat calling. Elena rolled her eyes._

_She drank in silence, leaving the glass of purple liquid alone. One of the men came to sit by her "Why hello, beautiful." He pushed the glass of wine closer to her. "How about you and me go find a place alone?"_

"_How about you back the hell off?" She smiled a fake smile, and placed a wad of cash on the counter, ready to get up and leave. The man grabbed her hand._

"_Now wait-"_

_Elena used that same hand to deck him in the face. Blood trickled from his mouth, where her fist had made contact. He held his lip, in shock and disbelief. She poured the wine on him, walking away, and silently proud of the laughs she got from the two guys that had sat near her._

_She walked out onto the street, and after a while of walking, felt a chill crawl down her spine. She turned into an alley, and stood, waiting._

"_I thought I told you to back the hell off." She glared at the four men that walked in behind her; only one of the group pf five weren't there._

"_Hey princess, we just want to have a good time." The man in the lead, the one she had punched, leered at her, his eyes dropping to her chest. His head jerked around suddenly as he heard two loud cracks as two of the guys behind him dropped down, and two took their place. One held a knife and the other a gun, but both had knocked out the men, not killed them._

_Elena squinted. They were both the guys that had sat next to her. She remembered the cute one with spiky hair, and the taller one, with longer hair._

_The two remaining guys ran, past the boys from the bar, sprinting down the street. Both men approached her. Elena pushed by them. "Thanks." She mumbled as she passed, but was stopped by the shorter one, in a brown jacket._

"_Hey. Wanna hook up sometime?" He winked, and she smiled slightly, blushing in the dark._

"_I have nothing better to do."_

"_Well than how about now? I hear they make a mean pie down the street."_

_Elena was glad it was dark, or the bright pink of her face would have easily been seen. The triumphant smile told her that he wouldn't give up. "I'll pay."_

_They walked down the street, leaving the other man rolling his eyes._

"_So does bad and beautiful have a name?"_

"_Elena. Does hot and kick ass have one too?"_

"_Dean. That was my brother, Sam."_

"_Older brother?"_

"_No." Dean mumbled, sounding upset "I'm supposed to be the eldest."_

_Elena tried to hold back her laugh. "Little bit of a height difference, isn't there?"_

Elena made her way up the stairs, fighting the urge to run so she could hug Dean. She missed the way they used to be, all of them. But when you hunted the supernatural, there was no going back.  
>She placed her hand on the doorknob, suddenly afraid. What if Sam was right?<p>

Her hand twisted the knob and pushed against it until the door opened. She came to stand a few feet away from the trap. "Dean." She whispered, and that one name crushed her heart. If he stepped out of the trap, he was okay. She thought about this as he came to stand near the edge of the trap.

"Elle."

She could barely hear him over the sound of her pounding heart, still hoping he'd take an extra step. But he didn't. She knew that he wouldn't, and that he couldn't.

She didn't move. She simply stood there, staring at him with sad eyes. His face looked full of emotion, but if she focused enough, she could see the carelessness in his eyes.

Her eyes shot downward, looking at his left foot, as he moved it forward. He placed it out of the trap, and walked to her, nothing stopping him. She froze, all her muscles locking in place. She didn't feel anything, even as he embraced her, his strong arms wrapping around her.

She instantly scanned the demon trap, looking over his shoulder, searching for a breakage. Her sight locked onto the small gap in the line, one so small and insignificant almost. But it meant the world to keeping him in, and it was that small gap that opened a larger one in her heart.

"It's too late." He whispered into her hair, and she shut her eyes as she was sent somewhere else with him still holding her. As soon as they arrived, she pushed him away, kicking him in the gut. He barely reacted to it, and she continued to punch and attack him in any way she could. Each time she hurt him, he healed almost instantly.

"Die, god damn it! Die!"

He grabbed onto her wrists as she went to hit him again.

"What the hell, Dean? Let me go!" She shouted.

She took in enough of her surroundings to realize they were in Bobby's old bunker.

Sam pushed away his laptop. "This is just ridiculous…" He grumbled. Elena had been up there with his brother for over tow hours, and as far as he could tell, she wasn't coming down anytime soon.

"Elle?" He shouted up the stairs as he climbed.

He reached the top, and walked through the open door.

"Elle!" He shouted, looking around. Dean and her were both gone, and the only sign of them was Elena's phone lying on the ground. Sam examined the demon trap, cursing himself for not double-checking it for a breakage.

_Cas! It's Elle!_ He called out in his mind. _What are we gonna do, what are we gonna do, what are we gonna-_

"Sam. Wha happened?" Castiel looked at the incomplete trap, his face full of worry.

"God damn it!" He shouted. "Can you trace where he took her?"

Cas looked up from the trap to him "Yes. But it will take time to do."

"We don't _have_ time Cas. My brother's a monster and keeps kidnapping his own girlfriend!"

Sam stormed out of the room, fuming. He slammed the door in the angel's face.

Once again, they were both caught up in chasing his idiotic brother. He clenched his fists, trying to relax.

_I'm a Winchester. And I'm bringing the other home._

Elena looked down at the broken trap on the ground. "Dean why the _hell_ would you bring us here?" She looked up at him. "What do you even _want_ with me?"

"Well that's the surprise, isn't it?" He smiled, a fake grin.

She looked around for a way out. She wasn't going to be able to move the bunker door, since it was locked from the outside.

"I've seen it. Crowley's seen it. I'm becoming weak. And my weakness is you. Understand?"

"So you're going to _kill_ me for it?" She yelled at him, and he walked closer to her, slowly.

"No."

"Then why?" She looked at him, hurt, afraid, and confused.

Dean was closer to her now, and she was pressed up against the wall. He grabbed her shoulder, and his lips slammed into hers.

She felt him pressing his body against hers, his electrifying touch coursing through her. She could have forgotten he was a demon. She could have stayed like this forever, and pretend everything as fine. Instead, she jerked her knee into his gut, and shoved her hands against his chest. She managed to move him an inch, but still enough to break away from him.

He stayed like that, his warm breath touching her face, and she still had the chance to pretend, to play along, but that would be playing into his hands. She turned her face away, refusing to look at him.

"I'm going to make you mine."

She felt his hand draw back from her waist, and his warmth was gone. Her knees went weak, and Elena slid down against the wall, sitting on the floor. She was still panting, her eyes spilling over with tears.

As Dean left, the weakness in him seemed to grow, and he longed to stay with her. But he left, and he knew that soon he'd be able to have her, and not have the risk of becoming human. That amount of feeling and recognition all from one kiss was enough to have kept him there, returning him to his original self. He left, slightly afraid of what the human girl was capable of doing to him.

_Human._ His mind caught on one little word. One that was weak and powerless. _Human. Emotion._ He thought about it more. She was a human now. One that preferred the human in Dean.

If she was something else… a demon… what would that change?

Cas. Castiel! I'm stuck in Bobby's bunker and crazy ass demon dean just kissed me. Come here. Now. Because if you don't, I swear I'll drag you by your wings down to the cage in hell.

"It's not physically possible for a human to drag me by my wings, especially since you can't touch them in the first place."

Elena looked up, sadly. She saw Castiel, but didn't run to him like she normally would. She couldn't stand. She felt sick, and dizzy. He came before her, and lifted her up by a hand. He then focused his power on sending them to the house he was just at with Sam. He sent them there.

His eyes were still open, and yet what he saw didn't change like it normally would. They were still in the bunker, with Elena crying silently, holding onto his hand like it was a lifeline.

"Elena…are we still…?"

"Cas, let's go. Dean's gone. Please just get us out of here." She looked up at him, and he tried again, and then again. Each time it didn't work.

He looked around the room "I can't."

He spotted the angel rune, that hadn't been there before, drawn in fresh blood. He led Elena over there, and they both tried to rub it away, but it didn't come off.

"He would never make it that easy." The light in Elena's eyes was gone and she was left, half asleep in Castiel's arms. Her head leaned against his shoulder and her sat her down, as he tried to find a way to remove the block.

Eventually, after many failed attempts, he gave up, and sat down next to her. There was nothing to do but wait and hope that Sam had an idea.

Sam had called for Castiel plenty of times, and he still hadn't answered. It was time he took matters into his own hands. He got to work on collecting the ingredients he would need.

Dean did his planning. He spoke to other demons about changing a human into a demon, and he did research on the Internet. He prepared for the different transformations he would have to try.

Elena's mind was blank. She stared across the room at Dean's parting 'gift'. The one little blood drawn sign that would keep her and Castiel from escaping. She tried to figure out why Dean would need Cas, but her mind turned up blank, and she drifted off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Both chapter updates in less than 24 hours! *High fives self* Hopefully I can update soon. I'm working on two other story plans, and I need to update my other story. *Dodges tomato* Who threw that?! I'm sorry, all right?**

**Please enjoy chapter!**

Sam shook up the spray can well, pressing down on the small nozzle with his index finger. The paint sprayed smooth, and even. He carefully drew the demon trap, and inside of that, the summoning symbol for the ruler of demons.

"Okay, King of Hell. Come here." He waited, impatience growing.

"Say please." Crowley appeared, suited in black, at the center of the trap. "Now why would a Winchester need me?"

"Where's Dean?" Sam glared at the demon, knife clenched tightly in his fist. His knuckles began to turn white as he held on to the hilt tighter and tighter, for every passing second of silence, only filled with Crowley's amused grin.

"Unfortunately Moose, I've run into the same problem. You see, Dean and Elena both have been somehow avoiding any attempt of mine to locate them." He paused, seemingly happy with himself. "Aren't you, the hunter?"

Sam's grip couldn't tighten on the demon knife anymore, so clenched his other hand into a fist. He felt the tiny crescents of his finger nails being embedded into his skin. "Listen Crowley, it's either I find them within the next twenty-four hours, or you die."

"Well then I do hope you find them." He frowned at the hunter "Hell isn't fit without a king."

Sam was glad he wiped the smile off of the demon's face.

"You may or may not be questioning why I came here when I knew this would be in place." Crowley looked pointedly down at the trap. "I have a deal to make."

"I'm not giving you my soul, or any special privileges. You can sit tight." Sam turned to leave, when he heard Crowley's offer.

"I'll send all the forces of hell after them. If of course, you assist in that. Of course I'll get equal chance as you in convincing them to join my side."

Sam paused in his departure, considering. "You aren't going to kill them?"

"Heavens, no." Crowley's smile was gone, and he was suddenly serious. "I simply want to welcome them home."

Sam tried to figure out what Crowley meant by that. They had no home. Only a broken, dysfunctional family.

"Deal?" Crowley broke his train of thought.

"Deal." Sam repeated, instantly regretting his decision, when he saw just how happy that made Crowley. He stepped on the trap, removing the paint.

_For my family._

"Now, I would love to stay and chat, but I believe I have a kingdom to rule."

"Elle." Dean appeared, in the center of the bunker. Castiel swung a large metal object at his head, and Dean ducked, sighing as he turned around and grabbed the pipe swinging for the back of him, courtesy of Elena. "You two really are getting to be a problem."

With a flick of his wrist, the metal objects went flying against the wall to their left. Dean grabbed Elena's shoulder, and tugged down her sleeve, looking at her shoulder.

"Dean!" She slapped him, pulling back up her shirt.

Bruises lined her shoulder from where she had repeatedly tried to open the door to the bunker.

"Elle. You need to stop trying. You aren't getting out of this one."

"Get away from her." Dean turned towards Cas's voice.

"I'm shaking. World, beware the power of the power_less_ angel." He waved his hands in mock terror, for an added effect.

He turned back to Elena. "Today isn't the day you escape. It's the day you become more trapped." He waved his hand, and the ropes flew off the shelves around the room. They wrapped around her and the angel, both tied on opposite ends of the room. Their arms were bound to their torsos.

Dean wrapped his arm around Elena, pulling her to the side of the room, where he had drawn a completed demon trap. She tried pulling away from him. "Dick." She muttered, pissed off at his carefree attitude.

He then placed her down next to it, careful not to get himself too close.

"Dick." She repeated, turning away from him. She tried wiggling her arms free, but only managed to get her right hand out of the bundle. It didn't help.

Dean kneeled next to her. "Listen Elle. I don't want to be a dick, but I will if I have to." He took her hand. "Sorry if this hurts."

Elena gasped out in pain, her entire right arm tightening, The muscles contracted tightly, and she felt her veins being squeezed until there was no circulation. She grinded her teeth against the pain. "Dean…" She managed to gasp out. Her arm felt like it was on fire. "Stop!"

"Elena!" Castiel shouted from the other side of the room. He watched, as a dark light seemed to travel through Dean's arm and into hers.

She held in the tears and shutting she was ready to release.

_What is he doing?_

The pain released suddenly, all of it ending at once. Elena's eyes rolled into the back of her head, and she dropped back, head hitting the ground.

"Elle!" Dean shouted. "Elle! Wake up!"

"Dean! What are you doing?" Castiel shouted from across the room, but Dean drowned him out, attention focused on the girl in front of him.

He quickly untied the ropes, pulling back her sleeve. The faintest outline was sitting just below her elbow, on her forearm.

The Mark of Cain.

Dean pulled up his own sleeve, the mark glowing slightly.

He sighed in relief. She laid silently, head in his lap. He looked down at her arm again. It was just an outline, the beginning of the mark. It would fade away.

He realized quickly his plan to split the mark would never work. The power of the mark would transfer back to him unless he gave the entire mark to her, and he would never agree to that. He remembered the emotional and physical pain he had endured because of it.

"I promise I'll never do that again." He whispered, leaning down toward her face, gently brushing lips.

"Stay away from her!" Castiel shouted in rage, trying to force his way out of the force that was locking him in place against the wall.

Elena's eyes fluttered open, staring up at Dean. He quickly moved her, placing her on the floor before him. He was gone and back in seconds, and he brought a chair. He lifted her up, and placed her down in it, tying her up before she gained complete consciousness.

"Dean…" She mumbled. "I love you." She was half-asleep, he knew that, but he couldn't help the slight feeling of happiness that would make any other demon cringe.

"I love you, too." He smiled, but then the smile was lost, as he reached into his jacket, pulling out a syringe.

Cas eyed the needle from the other side of the room. He watched as Dean drew blood from the vein in his elbow, the demon blood filling the glass tube.

"Dean… Don't do it. You'll kill her."

Dean hesitated as he heard the angel say this.

"Even if I do, I can drag her right out of hell, or heaven, or wherever the hell else she lands."

"You can't save her every time, Dean."

Dean walked up to Elena, and held the needle near the surface of her skin.

"I'll just have to take that chance."

The angel looked away, upset and flustered.

_I can't stop him._

Dean pushed the needle until it punctured Elena's skin, and pressed his thumb against the injector. He reached out with his power, but could still sense she was human.

He repeated the process, drawing blood from himself, the almost black fluid then being transferred to Elena.

If things worked out how he planned, he could find a way to do the reverse of the cure of demons. He could create the sort of 'infection'.

_Please work. Elle, please wake up._

He repeated the blood transfer process multiple times. He reached out with his power, and felt the strength of a demon being pushed back against him. Elena didn't wake up. He used the edge of the syringe to cut her wrist. She healed instantly.

Dean placed threw the needle down. "Elle." He shook her slightly. "Elle." He repeated, louder, hoping for her to wake up.

He felt her breathing, and felt the steady beat of her heart. She was alive, and perfectly fine.

"Cas."

The ropes around the angel fell, and Castiel walked quickly, bending down next to Elena's chair. "Elena…" He muttered, all hope lost in his certain voice. She was a demon for sure, but unless her mind found a reason to live, she would stay like that. Broken.

"What have you done?" Castiel breathed.

Dean held onto the solid chance of her waking up. She needed a purpose in life; a reason to wake up. What that reason would be, he wasn't sure.

Castiel stood, fingers dragging against the ground until they closed around the syringe. Dean stood as well, not minding the angel's threatening stance. Castiel was consumed with pure rage and fury. He had no feelings or regret as he plunged the needle downward, creating an arc of crimson in the air. He placed a foot on Dean's side, pushing him onto the ground. Only then did Dean reach up and grab the angel's arm. He stared down at Elena.

Cas followed his gaze, staring at the blood that landed on Elena's face, and arm. Her brown shirt was streaked with blood, light brown hair darkened by the color. Dean's blood.

The blood began to boil where it had landed on her skin, eventually disappearing. Neither the angel nor the demon moved. They watched in anticipation and fear as Elena's eyes opened slowly.

Castiel felt the extreme weight of failure fall on top of him, crushing all thought from his head. Nothing but shock registered on his face.

Dean felt a rush of emotion, all of them struggling to take hold. People say that love is the most powerful emotion, but he felt solid triumph. The joy that filled him was nothing compared to the overwhelming thought: _I win. She's mine._

He liked the sound of that.

_She's mine. Mine._

He laughed, and with a movement of his hand, Castiel was flung across the room, back to a sitting position against the wall.

Elena's eyes were solid black. She blinked, and they returned back to their original hazel.

"Dean." She smiled and he returned the gesture. She stood, and they locked lips. Dean held her close, and this time she didn't pull back, didn't push against him. This time she clung to him, and didn't fight when his tongue explored her mouth, teasing, wrapping around hers. He pulled her waist close to his, and she wrapped both arms around his neck.

They broke apart, panting. "I've missed you." He whispered.

"So have I." They stood like that, holding each other, while the angel in the corner was long gone, the angel seal having been broken by Dean when he slammed the angel into it.

Dean used his power, sending them both to a hotel room. He had no idea where, he just knew he needed somewhere to be with her alone.

He fell onto the bed, leaning over her. He kissed her, tasting everywhere in her mouth. She kissed him back with the same intensity, the force of their kiss growing with each second. Elena let a slight laugh escape from her lips, as Dean moved to her neck, leaving a trail of kisses until he made it back to her mouth.

That was when the fun started.

"Sam." Castiel spoke quietly, his voice rough and scratchy.

"Cas?" Sam looked up from the table, stacks of printed newspapers and articles scattered across the table and floor. "Where have you been?" He asked, angrily.

"Trapped with Elena. Dean-he… he has her. She's a…" He spoke carefully. "Elena is a demon."

Sam's eyes widened slightly, and he cleared his throat. "How did he uh… How did he do it?"

Cas stared at him in disbelief. "You already heard."

"Yeah, well let's just say Crowley had a change of heart."

"Oh moose, such the sense of humor."

Both heads turned to look at the king of hell, who now stood next to the table. "We made a deal, angel. Now fly home."

Castiel looked back to Sam, his face revealing how pissed he was. "I leave for two and a half days, and you strike a deal with _Crowley?_"

"No, Cas, it's just so we can find them faster. We needed the help and I-"

"I just want to make it clear that it was _his_ idea." Crowley spoke up, pointing over to Sam.

"Listen, you're not helping." Sam glared at him for a second, then turned back to Cas and opened his mouth to speak.

"And that I'm not lying." Crowley held up his hands in retreat as Sam turned angrily towards him.

Castiel looked between the two, not believing how great of friends they suddenly were.

"I could've killed you then and there, Crowley. Don't think I won't do it now."

The demon nodded, smiling at the younger of the Winchesters. "I remember." Then he snapped his fingers, and disappeared.

Castiel left, almost instantly. He had no reason to be near Sam as long as the demon would be under protection.

Sam held his head in one of his hands, sighing. He picked up another article and searched for signs of demonic activity.

_Dean… Elle… Where are you?_

Elena awoke; cold blankets the only thing covering her body. She slid off the bed she shared with Dean, putting on clothing. Dean still lied down, arms behind his head, already clothed. She crawled back into bed, cuddling up against him for warmth.

"Hell of a night." He mumbled, wrapping his arms around her.

"mhmm." She agreed, snuggling her face closer to the plaid of his shirt. His jacket was across the room, draped over the hotel desk chair. She inhaled the scent of him, nothing like the city or the woods, but a perfect balance. Not smoky, or like soap, but a perfect in between.

"So… what do I need to do to be a demon?"

He laughed slightly, and Elena felt the movement in his chest. "Nothing. Sometimes you feel the urge to kill, so you do. Sometimes you want to do something, so you do. It's freedom."

"Guess you're just now feeling that. After being leashed by the King."

Dean didn't say anything, but they could both feel how much he agreed, how glad he was that Crowley was out of his hair. "He was fun for a while. Then he became the angry parent."

Elena chuckled lightly, and lifted her head to kiss him. They both worked their way out of bed, standing and stretching. "So what should we do today?"

"Whatever we want." Dean put on his jacket, and she leaned into him as he wrapped an arm around her.

He finally had Elena back. He was going to protect her.

"But before that…" He looked over at her. "Time for you to get your first taste of what it means to be a demon." He waved his hand.

They both ended up outside, sitting in the shadow of an alley. The moonlight was the only thing illuminating the street, besides the neon sign of the bar across the street from them. Dean took her hand, and they walked up to the door, where music poured out.

"Texas Red?" She looked up at the name of the bar, pulling Dean a little closer in the cold.

He looked up too. "I don't know, this place looks pretty good."

They both entered, and Dean brought her to the barstools. Elena looked around, seeing the bar maids, wearing barely any clothing. "I can see why." She cast a sideways glance at him. "_Dean._"

"That's not what we're here for." He looked around at the people dancing around him, all the laughing couples, and lonely singles. They had no idea what was coming.

They both sat down.

"First thing about being a demon-" He took a beer from the bartender. "Have fun." He took a swig, and then passed it to her. She drank from the same bottle, passing it back when she was done.

"Second…" He smiled, his eyes going full black. "Death." He pulled the first blade from his pocket, handing it to her. "You decide what to do. This place needs a little action."

Elena's eyes returned the ebony stare, eyes losing all color besides the solid black. She took the blade, and with a casual movement in her hand, it was flung across the room, passing through four different people. They all dropped to the ground. Screaming followed.

Dean smiled, and sat back, leaning against the bar table while drinking a bottle of beer. He barely paid attention to the screaming. He sat calmly, acting as though nothing was happening around him. He ducked his head down slightly as someone was flung over his head, narrowly missing the top of his hair.

He was proud.

Elena felt nothing but a slight happiness in killing the people. She thought about how nice it was to be demon.

_I don't have to feel anything anymore._

This thought made her as glad as a demon without emotion could get. The one thing she didn't understand was how she could love Dean, and yet feel no other emotion but that love. She laughed, as she slit another woman's throat. It didn't matter. She enjoyed being a demon.

Her thoughts trailed to when she had first awoken as a servant of hell. Her first thought was to protect Dean.

The reason she was living was to protect him. To be with him, and love him: That was the purpose that had woken her up. She smiled.

_And I'll do one hell of a job._

She blocked off the exits with tables and chairs, trying to decide how to kill everyone in a different way. She had stabbed enough people, drowned a few in the bathrooms they tried to hide in… She had even lit people on fire, watching them foolishly run and alight other people.

Dean was right. She had no control over whether or not she killed right now.

_Is it like this for every demon? Or is it just because I was created with Dean's blood?_

When she came out of her thoughts, she realized everyone was dead. She sat back down with Dean, sliding the first blade back to him across the counter.

"Is it like that for every demon?" She asked him, leaning over the counter to grab more alcohol. She popped a beer cap with her bare hand, something she wouldn't have been able to do before.

They tapped bottles in a cheer, and both drank.

"I like to think of it as my own little power." He answered, amused by her question. That meant she was just like him. As if she had a separate mark on her arm. She had to kill.

He watched her lips turn up in a playful smile as she listened to his response.

"Elle. If you don't want to barf your organs out, then do this-" He pointed over his shoulder "-as often as you can."

She looked back over her shoulder. "That won't be a problem."

Sam reviewed the footage over and over again.

"Are you sure this is them?" The officer stood awkwardly behind the 'FBI' agent, trying to peer over his shoulder. "They look like psycho paths. I don't know if they're capable of running from the Feds."

Sam barely heard him, but his reply was automatic. "It's them alright."

He replayed the tape, yet again.

_Dean. Man, what the hell have you done to her?_

Normal Elena would have complained about the stench, made jokes about the body parts and blood, but this side of her he'd never even seen. Even when she had been killing monsters, her face had never held that little of emotion.

She killed and killed people over and over. Sam paused on a specific part. Elena's eyes blacked out, while she smiled at Dean. He zoomed in to the frame, making sure it wasn't a shadow. Even though the evidence was right there, he didn't want to believe his brother would do that to someone he cared so much about.

"_Do you think if I wanted to be cured, I would have bailed?"_

He winced at the memory of Dean's harsh words. But this is not my brother; he reminded himself. This isn't my best friend either. No one is who they're supposed to be.

"Agent Gordon? Agent Gordon!"

Sam was jolted out of his thoughts. "Hmm? Uh, yes? What is it?"

"Sheriff Dudley is here to take you to the crime scene."

"Oh, uh thanks." Sam nodded, and reluctantly left the computer. He didn't want to believe it, but his brother was capable of _creating_ demons. Demons as powerful as himself.

He followed the police officer to the chief of police, sheriff Dudley.

"You're Agent Callahan's partner?" He turned, and pointed to the 'FBI agent' in a trench coat, patiently sitting in the passenger seat of the police car. He was looking down at the computer and radio, examining them, and slightly jumping whenever one would make a noise.

"Uh, yeah." Sam nodded, walking to the police vehicle. "Cas. What are you doing here?"

"Sam as you, I guess." He looked up at Sam, squinting against the sun. "They've been here. Hannah and I both felt their power from this town. So I came to investigate.

"You and… Hannah are working together?"

The angel shrugged. "She offered to help."

The sheriff climbed into the driver seat. "Ready boys?"

Sam ducked into the back of the squad car. Neither angel nor hunter said anything the entire way there, even when Dudley tried to make small talk.

Sam pushed open his door, and climbed out, walking quickly to the open door of the bloodied bar. Cas followed close behind him.

"Wait up!" called the sheriff, as he struggled with his seat belt.

The first thing that hit both men was the smell. Blood and Death flew out into the open air, an obvious reason of why the entire block was covered with yellow police tape.

Sam coughed, lifting his sleeve to slightly delude the smell. The sheriff caught up with him, handing him a white facemask, like the ones used during surgery.

"Ya might need this." The officer waved a hand in front of his face, nose scrunching up. Sam applied his mask, trying to breathe shallow breaths.

"So what evidence was collected?"

"Cause of death varied, but most of it was a knife. We couldn't identify what it was made out of, though."

Sam didn't respond, knowing it was a jawbone.

"Other than that, victims were drowned, burnt, stabbed, choked. You name a way to kill somebody in a bar, and it's there." The deputy shook his head, looking sad. "Most of them were good folk, too."

Sam's jaw twitched. He was pissed at the closest thing he's ever had to a sister, and her jerk boyfriend. Sam shook his head slightly. That wasn't the brother he had named jerk, and that wasn't his sister. Those were entirely different people.

"Anything else?" He looked around the bar. The numerous beers from the two demons were still there, but other than that, there was no trace of them.

"We ran a DNA check on those bottles, but they came up empty. No sign of the killers." The sheriff adjusted his belt. "By the way, what do you know about these two?"

Sam stared off into the mass of body parts and blood.

_Elle. Dean. I'm going to get you back._

"More than they know about themselves."


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's note: Hi. That's all. Carry on.  
>My wayward son.<br>There'll be peace when you are done.  
>Lay your weary head to rest<br>Don't you cry no more.  
><strong>"Sam?" Elena looked up in surprise. She watched him walk into the room, and close the door behind him. He then at down opposite of her.  
>"Elle." His gun rested on his lap, and she could see the glint of a demon knife in his coat pocket.<br>Her eyes shifted to the color of black as she watched him, and noticed he was sitting in a way that he could attack her at any moment.  
>"Sam, Dean may not be here but I don't need him to protect me."<br>"I know." He said, and ran a hand across his face. "Elle. Why don't you stop so we can bring back Dean? Isn't that what you wanted? Doesn't it hurt you to see him like this?"  
>She smiled. "Sam, Dean and I suffered like you are now. Did it ever occur to you that we don't want to come back home? We were in pain, and now we feel nothing but pleasure."<br>"Did you ever once think you were hurting me?"  
>"Sam, that's the problem. You always think we're a perfect family but we're not. We never can be."<br>She stood, and Sam followed, pulling out the knife.  
>"That aside, how did you find us?"<br>"You think up wouldn't leave a trail? You've been killing people in a straight path down the country. I'm a hunter. Others have probably noticed too."  
>"And each one of them died. I don't want to kill you, and I have to restrain myself even now."<br>"Dean told me the same thing. He wanted to rip my throat out. With his teeth. But he didn't do it. I'm practically your brother, Elle."  
>"<em>Practically<em>." She said, emphasizing it. "You're _his_ brother. So then why do you want to save me?"  
>He looked at her, cautiously stepping back as she approached him slowly.<br>"Dean!" She spoke.  
>Sam." Dean had blinked into existence beside Elena, and Sam's grip slightly tightened on the knife.<br>"Dean?" His heart was pounding, his brother standing before him, but he knew it wasn't really him, but a demon taking his place.  
>"Elle, go." Dean commanded, knowing he'd snap Sam's neck with a quickness if he didn't control himself. And for that he couldn't be focusing on protecting her.<br>She nodded once, and something behind her black eyes seemed to scream out to Sam as their eyes met. Her expression completely nullified the look, but Sam knew the human Elena was still awake and fighting.  
>"Dean. The human blood in you... When you created Elle, did you do it while the blood was still in effect?"<br>"Sam she's still a demon and you can't change that. Just like me. You're not going to go all hero mode this time" His smile was fake.  
>Sam didn't find it amusing. He frowned, and held the knife up. "Dean. You're coming back."<br>"Sammy, maybe I don't want to."  
>"You're coming back wither you'd like to or not. Dean, we can fix this. We <em>will<em> fix this."  
>Dean shook his head, and looked over to his younger brother. "If you could fix this, Sammy, it would have been done."<br>Sam shot at his brother, just as the demon raised his hand to send Sam flying. The bullet landed in his thigh, and he fell to the ground. White smoke poured from the wound, and Sam was standing without a scratch.  
>"What the hell?" Dean's fingers traced the wound and he looked up to Sam when it didn't heal. "What did you do?" He growled, his voice deep and guttural.<br>"I did my research. Holy bullets."  
>Sam kneeled next to his brother, chaining his wrist.<br>"What? So now I can't even move?"  
>"Pretty much."<br>He stated simply, and he sent a silent prayer to Castiel.  
>A hand touched Sam's shoulder, and him, Dean and the angel had traveled back to the warehouse they had started in.<br>Sam moved across the room, pulling up three syringes. He injected each one in succession to his brother's forearm. It pained him to hear his brother's yelling, knowing it caused him pain.  
>"Dean, I'm bringing you back."<p>

Because of the pain and drowsiness the blood was causing, Dean didn't move or respond.  
>Castiel moved to Dean's side, healing the bullet wound.<br>The demon breathed heavily, shooting awake. His eyes shifted to black and a normal color repeatedly. "God damn it, Sammy. Give up."  
>"No."<br>This seemed to amuse the demon, even though his body was tense against the pain of the blood spreading in his bloodstream. "And why not?"  
>"Because you're my brother. And I've never left you behind, so I won't start today." He shot the blood into his brother's neck, and then continued with another.<br>Dean gasped against the pain, grinding his teeth together. In a pained voice, he said, "it doesn't matter anyways. Elle'll get me back and fix me. I trained her myself, Sam."  
>"Sorry Dean, it doesn't work that way. Cas, go find Elena"<br>Catiel nodded silently, not wanting to cause anything between the warring brothers.

"You're connected to her by blood now. She's you, but in another body." Sam said, placing another round of blood into Dean's veins.  
>Castiel felt for Elena's presence, searching with his own powers. He felt her in distress, and he soon found her, lying on the ground, screaming angrily in pain. He held her in his arms, and she seemed to pass out. When he got back to Sam, he saw the same had happened to Dean.<br>"What is this?" He asked Sam.  
>"They're connected by blood. Do anything that effects him, effects her." He nodded towards Elena's limp body. Castiel looked shocked and afraid, and Sam wondered why his statement had that effect on the angel.<br>"When they awake, will they be..."  
>He placed Elena on a chair beside Dean's.<br>"Human? Hopefully."  
>He sent a shot of blood down Elena's arm as well.<br>"That was the last one." Sam said, tossing the empty syringe aside.

Castiel grabbed Elena's and Dean's shoulders, and they both disappeared.  
>"Where'd you send them?" Sam asked.<br>"To a human hospital. They'll need it. I can't stay long enough to see them wake, but hopefully they can heal there." He left in a rush and Sam couldn't help but wonder if it had something to do with the 'connected by blood' part.  
>Castiel left for heaven before Sam could argue that:<br>They had shot marks, making them look like druggies.  
>They could very well still be demons if Sam was wrong. He hadn't even gotten the chance to test it.<br>And Cas had sent them, teleported them, into a random room of a human hospital. If that wasn't suspicious, he didn't know what was.  
>Sam grabbed the Impala's keys out of his pocket; desperately hoping Cas had sent them to the nearest one.<br>Bright lights burned against his eyes as Dean woke. The strong scent of antiseptics and the cold let him know he was in a hospital. He sat up; his eyes wide open, breathing heavily. He snatched the IV out of his arm, rubbing where the needle had been, and looked around. A nurse entered the room, a while later.  
>" ?" She looked afraid, and full of sympathy. "You're awake?"<br>"What? What happened?" If there was one thing he was good at, it was reading people, and he could tell she was hiding something.  
>The nurse seemed afraid. "You arrived with a miss Elena, correct?"<br>"My girlfriend. Where is she?" He asked suddenly, noticing the bed next to him was empty.  
>The nurse told him to wait, and she rushed out of the room.<br>Good. He thought. That meant she was waiting out there for him.  
>A man in a suit came in, followed by the nurse. "This is him." She mumbled, then left.<br>"What is this?" Dean asked. "Who are you?"  
>The man in the dark suit sighed unhappily.<br>"I regret to inform you that Elena died under hospital care. She was physically exhausted, and when she seemed to be getting better, her heart came to a sudden stop. We did all that we could to help her, but she, unfortunately, was beyond saving. She's dead."  
>Dean's eyes were wide, and his breathing quickened. The heart rate monitor shot up, and he pulled the wires off his chest, annoyed.<br>"No. She's not dead. God _damn_ it!" He shouted the last part, and slammed a fist against the bed's railing.  
>"Mr. Dean Winchester, since you are her only living 'relative', we expected you to be in charge of her funeral, but seeing as you were in a coma, we ended up holding a private funeral. Your brother Sam, and her friend Jimmy Novak showed up. We're sorry that-"<br>"I wasn't even able to go to her funeral?" He shouted. "Where the hell is Elena?"  
>"Century Cemetery, a few miles from here."<br>He stood from the bed suddenly, and found his bag of clothes. He tossed them on in the bathroom quickly, and then rushed outside. Sam had left the Impala in the parking lot. Dean reached under the hood, where Sam and him had agreed to leave the keys when the other needed them.  
>He pushed far past the speed limit, until he reached the cemetery. The tires screeched as he pulled to a stop, and cut the engine.<br>He sprinted across the graves, looking for any sign of hers.  
>He didn't think. He only acted, when he spotted her grave.<br>He dropped to his knees in front of it, staring disbelieving at the tomb stone. Nothing was engraved on it, except for her name.  
>Elena Winchester.<br>The thought that she died as a Winchester made his heart contract, and he could feel the pain in his chest as his eyes filled with tears.  
>Dean stared at her tombstone, not wanting to believe it. But he knew that when someone died, there was no reasonable way to bring them back.<br>"This is all my fault." He mumbled, just as he did every time. Everything was his fault. Everyone had always pointed out his flaws and the things he did wrong. No one ever told him what he had done right, and he knew it didn't matter. He felt like he had done no right. He had only made wrong decisions, and hurt everyone he cared about.  
>His hand brushed against the soil. It was fresh. Did Sam salt and burn her himself?<br>How long had he been in a coma? Months?  
>What had been his last words to her?<br>He had done this, he had killed her. She wouldn't have gone to Heaven, would she have? He remembered his painful years in Hell. What he had seen. It had split him and his brother apart.  
>"I'm so sorry Elle." He said, tears filling his eyes. He sat there, crying. He had screwed up her life just like everyone else's. One of the last people he cared about were dead.<br>And it was all his fault.

"Dean." Sam said, surprised. "They didn't call me to tell me you were out." He seemed worried. "Dean... You were in a coma, and-"  
>"I know." Dean stated, glaring across the room at nothing. His eyes were still gleaming from unshed tears. He didn't meet his brother's eyes. "Did you burn her?"<br>Sam looked down at his hands.  
>"I tried to Dean, I really did. I just couldn't do it..."<br>Dean sighed in relief. "So there's still a way to bring her back?"  
>Sam looked up suddenly. "Dean, no. Last time, after all that Lilith stuff... We can't do that again."<br>"Relax, Sammy. I'm not selling my soul."  
>He didn't relax. "Then what are you doing?"<br>Telling his brother that he planned to summon Death was probably a bad idea. Instead he settled on "Something." And just as his brother stood and tried to stop him, Dean left. He could hear Sam's pounding footsteps behind him.  
>"I'm not letting you go, Dean!"<br>"See you later, Sammy!" He called behind him, knowing he could run faster than his younger brother, even if he had slightly bowed legs. Their height difference had nothing on their speed difference.  
>He came out onto the motel parking lot, quickly starting up the Impala. He raced down the road, hoping it would take Sam longer to start his car.<br>He sped off, checking his rear view mirror occasionally. Soon, Sam's car fell out of sight, and Dean went back to the motel. The last place Sam would think to look.  
>He cut the engine, and climbed out of the car, heading to the back and opening the trunk. Inside, he pulled out a little bit of everything, knives, deadman's blood, chalk, pieces of bodily parts, and assorted other things, then headed into the motel, hiding the things in a duffel bag.<br>He raced up the stairs to room 209, where he and Sam were staying. He dropped the bag onto the bed after fumbling to unlock the door.  
>He opened up Sam's laptop, waiting for it to boot-up. When the desktop screen showed, he opened up the web browser and searched for 'how to summon death.' Sometimes Hunter research is simple.<br>Most information pages that popped up came with a dead body, but he had no intention of killing anyone. Finally, he found an article on the summoning of the four horsemen. Death was the second one down.  
>He skimmed through the paragraph. He had everything he needed here in the bag of stuff he had packed. He had grabbed things at random, and luckily grabbed all the things needed.<br>He unzipped the bag, and first took out the piece of chalk.  
>He squinted at the screen, trying to copy it exactly. He then traced over it in the deadman's blood.<br>The center of the symbol had a small star, and that one he traced with his own blood, using the silver knife he had brought.  
>Looking back at the screen, he dumped salt around the entrances to the room, and for good measure, put himself in a salt circle. Apparently bad spirits traveled with Death, and one or multiple could be summoned along with Death himself.<br>He stepped over the salt line to grab a box of cold pizza off of the coffee table. Hopefully this helped to persuade Death. Only two slices were left, and it was cold from sitting out all night, but maybe Death wouldn't mind.  
>He looked back to the screen for further instructions.<br>Candle? That he didn't think he had. He opened the door to the motel room, heading down stairs. He ended up in the central building.  
>"You got a candle?" He asked the man at the front desk.<br>"Emergency ones." He reached under the desk and handed him one. "What do you need it for?"  
>"To set the mood." He said sarcastically, and the man frowned at the sex joke.<br>He unlocked the door to the room again, and opened the door. He looked up, and Death was contentedly eating the pizza, which was steaming and looked fresh.  
>"Dean. I heard you were beginning to summon me, and I saw that you delightfully remembered my favorite food." He took another small bite and stood from his sitting position on the sofa.<br>"Now why was it you called me?"  
>Dean tossed the useless candle to the bed. It rolled off and onto the floor, but he didn't retrieve it. Instead he looked to Death.<br>"If you can revive a slice of pizza, then I need you to bring something else back."  
>Death seemed to be mildly amused. "Someone, you mean?" He looked at Dean pointedly. "I recently retrieved a new soul for down below. Are you interested in saving it?"<br>He nodded. "What will it take to bring back Elena Winchester?"  
>"Nothing at all." Death responded politely, but Dean couldn't tell if he meant he'd do it for free or if there was no way to do it. He waited for Death to speak again.<br>"If you mean the Elena that died in the Hospital-"  
>"Yes, that one." Dean had started to become annoyed.<br>"I wasn't finished." Death said calmly. "If you mean that Elena, which now I know you do, then you might want to speak to your angel friend."  
>"You mean Cas? Why?"<br>"You see, after I had dropped Elena off in Satan's kingdom, the angels had tried to heavily persuade me to steal her soul back. They wanted her, but I wasn't sure why. So, I went to retrieve her." He paused.  
>"And?" Dean asked, urging him to continue. "What the Hell happened?"<br>"That's exactly it. Hell happened. You see, the demons weren't excited to see her go. They tortured her far greater than they ever would have to someone of her morality. When I came to collect her, she was gone. I can't tell if the angels have her, or where she's gone. She's vanished."  
>He did a small explosion effect for emphasis.<br>"So that's it? She's gone?" The pain in his voice was visible on his face.  
>"Winchester, Dean. I almost feel sympathetic. Except for the fact that I can't. The only way I see to find her is through Heaven. They would know, and perhaps you can find out why they needed her? I am rather curious as to why it was so urgent."<br>Dean nodded slowly. Death disappeared as he mumbled a thank you.  
>"Cas. You there?" He said aloud, and waited. "Cas. I need you, get down here."<br>The angel didn't respond. "Cas?" He asked frantically. Was he hurt or dead? Maybe he was just ignoring him.  
>"Castiel? Get your ass down here!" Was the angel avoiding him? He knew this had happened before, when Cas couldn't come to him. But maybe...<br>"Hannah. Cas isn't coming. What's happening?"  
>"Dean Winchester."<br>A voice spoke from behind him and he spun, reaching for his jacket pocket, where he kept a knife. He relaxed when he saw it was Hannah. "Where's Castiel?"  
>She looked at him surprised. "Why?" She asked incredulously.<br>"Where is he?" He repeated.  
>"Castiel is gone." She said.<br>"Hannah, angels are the worst liars. You guys suck more than Sam does."  
>"Dean..." She said, sounding sorry. "Castiel is... I can't tell you."<br>"And why the Hell not?" He asked angrily.  
>"It's confidential." She stated simply, seeming to not notice his growing anger.<br>"Hannah, one last time. Where is he?"  
>"I'm sorry Dean. I really can't tell you."<br>She disappeared after that, leaving him in an empty room again.  
>"Damn it." He mumbled. He searched through the motel room, soon finding his phone. He dialed Sam's number, hesitating before he called.<br>"Dean?"  
>"Sam."<br>"Where the hell are you?" He asked worriedly.  
>"Sammy, relax. I'm back at the motel room."<br>"What happened, man? What did you do?"  
>"I summoned Death."<br>"And?" He asked, expectantly.  
>Dean sighed, and was silent for a while.<br>"Elena's gone."  
>"Gone for good? There's no way to bring her back?"<br>"No Sam. Gone. Like not in Hell where she should be."  
>"Is she in Heaven? Is she alive again?"<br>"I don't know, Sammy!"  
>"Well talk to Cas. Shouldn't he know?"<br>"I tried, he didn't respond, so I got Hannah, who didn't tell me anything."  
>Sam seemed to consider. "Do you think Cas knows something? Or maybe she's back on Earth?"<br>"Wouldn't she have come to find us though? She remembers my number."  
>"Dean... Did you ever think she wasn't too excited to come back?"<br>"What do you mean?"  
>"Well... No offense man but you were a total dick when you came back. All secretive about everything that happened down there. You grew really distant. Maybe the same happened to her?"<br>Dean thought about it. "But then why would Cas not respond?"  
>Sam was silent.<br>"Come meet me back here. I'm gonna try her cell." Dean said.  
>"We can always track it if we need to."<br>Dean nodded, even though he knew his brother couldn't see it. "See you soon, Sammy."  
>"Yeah. See ya, Dean."<br>He hung up and dialed Elle's number. It continued to ring until it hit the voicemail box.  
>'<em>You have reached the voice mail box of<em>-'  
>He hung up, and set the laptop up on the coffee table. He heard the door open and close, and soon Sam sat next to him. "What happened?"<br>"She didn't pick up. But her phone is still working."  
>Sam hooked Dean's phone up to the laptop, opening up the tracker program. He pulled up the latest call.<br>"Michigan?" Sam mumbled, typing away.  
>"Michigan?" Dean repeated. "That's where she is?"<br>"That's where her phone is."  
>"Isn't that where we met her?"<br>"Yeah. Same city, too."  
>"What is she doing there?"<br>"Isn't her family there?"  
>"Her family is dead, Sam."<br>"Right..." He mumbled, clicking away. "Well the call went to someone's house. Maybe she's staying with a friend."  
>He wrote down the address on a sticky note.<br>"1938 Rimelow Boulevard." He said, reading it from the screen.  
>"Good. Let's go." He stood instantly, grabbing his keys and packing up their stuff.<br>"Uh, Dean?"  
>"What now?" He asked, annoyed.<br>"We don't even know if this is her. This could be something possessing her body, or someone with her phone, or something. We don't know for sure if this is even her."  
>Dean looked t him, dead serious. "So?"<br>"So... This might not be her."  
>"Sammy, I don't care if it's not her. It's a lead."<br>Sam stood and helped his brother. As they were finishing up, he asked what had been burning against his mind. "So then how does Heaven tie into this? Why would Cas be avoiding us?"  
>Dean didn't respond. Why would Heaven need her in the first place?<br>"Death said something about Heaven wanting her even though she was dead, right? Why do you think they're involved with her at all?"  
>Dean considered. "A vessel?"<br>"Why would they need another?" Sam asked.  
>"True." But they both knew anything was possible.<br>They packed all their things into the Impala, and checked out of the motel. The manager cast a dirty look towards Dean for the candle incident, but they left without trouble.  
>When they were both seated in the car, Dean looked to Sam expectantly. "Well? Where to?"<br>Sam opened up the glove compartment box, pulling out a map of cities and states.  
>"Uh... Guess we just head north."<br>"Okay... Any other genius plans?"  
>"Not really."<br>"Good." He started the Impala and drove off.  
>The fire warmed her skin, and she closed her eyes, feeling the heat warming the night around her. The stench of the dead body burned against her nose.<br>When she opened her eyes, the body of the ghost was burning, the smell of gasoline disappearing. She collected the tub of salt and gascan, slipping the box of matches into the duffel bag.  
>She looked around her, making sure no one had witnessed the salting and burning of the body. She quickly shoveled the dirt back into the grave when the body finished burning. The smell of smoke was heavily mixed with fresh soil. She grabbed the shovel and her bag, carrying them back to her car. She tossed them into the back seat and drove off towards the house she was staying at.<br>Her friend greeted her as the door opened. "Elle, why do you smell like smoke? Was something on fire?" She looked out the window, expecting to see a smoke pillar.  
>Elena looked outside, and against her will, she secretly hoped that the Impala was out there. She brushed off the stupid wish immediately.<br>"Sorry Nicky. I... Uh my car broke down and there was a lot of exhaust..."  
>Nicole let it slide, knowing that car smoke didn't smell like that. She had been getting a lot of strange answers from her, and she knew Elena had something to hide. But she was her friend, and wouldn't force it from her. "Alright. Get dinner started, would ya?"<br>Elena nodded, glad for the distraction. When she looked outside again, her heart ached. That man across the street wasn't Dean. It was that one neighbor who walked his dog all the time.  
>She headed towards the kitchen, pulling out boxes of mashed potato mix and a can of green beans. Her cell phone rang and she looked down at it. Nicole looked over, curious.<br>Reading the caller ID, she fell to the floor of the kitchen, sitting. She covered her mouth, which was stuck in a silent scream.  
>The picture taunted her, the picture Sam had taken of her and Dean. They were holding hands, leaning against the Impala. His smile was bright, and so was hers. She let the phone slide from her hands and onto the ground.<br>He was calling her. He had the stupid nerve to _call_ her.  
>She let out a small sob and Nicole rushed to her side. She sat next to Elena, hugging her tight. Elena sobbed into her shoulder, as she was struck with the pain of missing him but not being able to return to him.<br>Nicole took the phone from the ground, and looked to the caller ID.  
>"Was this your boyfriend? Did he break up with you? I'll tear off his jaw, I swear."<br>Her crying intensified, so Nicole fell silent. "Nicky... He's gone. I left him and now... I don't know how I came back... Now I don't know what to do... He hates me so much, and what if he's still a demon?"  
>Nicole didn't understand at all, but she hugged her tight.<br>"He didn't do anything. I did and he hates me."  
>"Oh, Elle. It's not your fault. Did he tell you he hates you?"<br>"No, which is worse. He pretends it's okay, that everything's all right, but it's _not_."  
>"Oh, Ella, you've been through hell."<p>

Nicole didn't realize the truth behind her words. Hell had shown her things she never would have thought of. All the shit she put Dean through. Not to mention the 'present' Crowley sent her. Dean. The bad side of Dean. A piece of demon Dean was left in Hell, and he was used against her, telling her the true feelings Dean had.  
>The feelings Dean didn't care about. Those feelings he had abandoned and pushed back since she was family.<br>And now she believed those feelings still existed.  
>Every time she had hurt someone was replayed in her head and made a thousand times worse.<br>"I don't know what's real anymore."  
>Nicole hugged her closer, even though she didn't understand at all.<br>Elle was in this alone, even though Nicole was right beside her.

She remembered one of the worst parts of being down there. Dean, Sam, and Cas.

Sam held Dean in his arms, crying wildly. "You did this. You hurt us." Sam had kissed a demon that sat beside him, and he dropped dead, Dean coming back to cry over his brother

"**You bitch!**" He shouted angrily, knowing there was no way of bringing Sam back.  
>"I hate you. I never want to see your god damned face again!"<p>

Castiel sat on the ground beside her, his back a bloody mess from the two wounds that ran down his back in a parallel V-shape. He looked scared, sad, alone, and afraid.

"You tore me from Heaven." He said, and those accusing words were enough to shred her heart. He looked so lost, so betrayed.

"Cas, no I didn't!"

"You tore me from my home, took away my family. I'm stuck in a human body, Jimmy Novak will never get his life back. All because of you. You might as well have torn my wings off then and there!" He was shouting now, and he was crying, sobbing. "I'm alone now. I can't find Sam or Dean and I'm stuck here alone with you, the one that caused this. Everyone in Heaven hates me! I'm a disgrace!"  
>Elena was clutching her head, screaming, her eyes shut. She came back to reality so quickly that she was confused for a moment, before the impact of her heart shattering hit her full force.<br>"What just happened?!" Nicole asked, freaked out. "Are you okay?"

Elena shook her head. "I'm fine." Her voice was weak with sadness and fear.  
>"No you're not! What the hell? You've been keeping way too much random ass shit from me! What's happening to you?"<br>Elena was tired and hurt. The yelling didn't help "I'm about to pass out." She mumbled, nausea and dizziness crashing into her like a wave.  
>She stood slowly, using the counter for support. Nicole crossed her arms, upset.<br>"Get some sleep, but in the morning you're telling me everything that's been going on."  
>Elena ignored her, knowing she wouldn't risk her friend's safety and sanity. She fell to her bed, cold, but not bothering with the covers as she fell into the world of nightmares, slightly more comforting than reality.<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's note: fun fact: I type most of these chapters on the notes app on my phone, then email them to myself so I can edit it on my computer and post them.**

Elena woke, turning on her cell phone. She had missed calls from Sam and Dean multiple times over the night.  
>"Why are you doing this to me?" She whispered, tears falling onto the pillow.<br>She remembered Nicole's request to hear about her life, and Elena quickly got dressed and out the door. She wasn't about to explain a Hunter to her. She'd freak out and become super paranoid that something was going to come after her.  
>She decided to go shopping. What else was she going to do? The nearest clothing store was "rags before riches". It was a thrift store, but she didn't mind. Anything to get her away from the house.<br>She pulled into the parking lot after about five minutes of drive time. The door made a small jingling sound as the door hit the bell.  
>She strolled along, sorting through the clothes. Her fingers brushed along the different fabrics until she came to the end of the row, then she started the same process over on the other side, pulling apart the hangers to see the different shirts. She completely skipped over the lather and plaid sections knowing she'd be hurting herself for no god damn reason.<br>Her eyes traveled up to the door as the bell jingled again, and she instantly ducked down, internally freaking out. Sam and Dean had just walked into the store. She desperately hoped they didn't know she was here, and she crawled in between the clothing racks, ducking in the enclosed space between the hanger racks. Clothes blocked most of her view, but she had a good view of Dean's pants and shoes, moving slowly around the shop. A gap in the clothes let her see his face, him looking around for something. She spotted Sam, who met eyes with Dean and nodded after looking down at his phone.  
>We're they meeting someone here?<br>The cashier watched them both suspiciously, but then shrugged it off. They slowly moved towards the aisle she was in, walking directly towards her hiding spot. They still looked around, so they still haven't seen her.  
>They met on separate sides of the aisle, looking at each other across the rack. She was tucked between them, slowing her breathing.<br>"I thought you said she was here?" Dean asked, sounding annoyed.  
>Sam looked down at his phone. "This is where her phone is. Think it's in the pocket of something?"<br>Dean looked around the shop one more time.  
>They really were trying to find her. Her heart rate quickened and she tried to hold completely still.<br>"Dean, maybe she dropped it here. I told you it might not be her."  
>"No, Sammy. She has to be here." He didn't see her, but he tried to give himself hope. "Are you sure it's directly here?"<br>"Yeah. Let me call her, I'll check if we can hear it."

She watched Sam dialing the number, and was suddenly grateful for silent modes on phones.

"Yeah, says she's directly here." He muttered. "Check the pockets of some of the clothes."  
>They started looking for pockets to search in the clothing. It was a relatively slow process, and Dean ended up dropping a shirt on the ground. Elena began to inch away, towards Sam. Her hand went out to push herself away from Dean, when his hand brushed hers as he bent to pick up the shirt. She felt her heart beating in the slight pause that followed. He seemed to be frozen.<p>

Dean suddenly grabbed onto her hand, forgetting about the shirt, and he fell to his knees, diving under the clothing rack and embracing her tightly. Sam, who hadn't noticed Elena, watched and looked around, hoping nobody saw his crazy ass brother.  
>Elena hadn't moved, even though Dean's arms were around her. He didn't want to kill her? He actually forgave her? He still <em>loved<em> her? He pulled her out into the aisle, slowly standing with her, and she carefully wrapped her arms around him, but couldn't resist, hugging him tighter.  
>Sam's eyes went wide as he watched Dean pull her out of the clothing rack.<br>"Elle. I was so god damn worried about you. What the hell were you thinking?"  
>"I'm sorry." She whispered. "I'm so sorry. Dean. I... I-" she whispered, cutting herself off. Tears were pouting down her face, the guilt tearing into her stomach.<br>"Elle, what happened?" he mumbled into her ear.  
>"Dean" She cried, hugging him tighter, her hands clenching into fists around his jacket. The scent of him was comforting as her head rested on his shoulder. He kissed her head, wrapping his arms fully around her.<br>"Dean... I died... Didn't I?"  
>He hesitated, remembering how he had reacted, and he hugged her a little tighter as if to make sure she was still there.<br>They heard Sam laugh happily, and they could practically feel his mood change.  
>"Why am I alive?" She looked up at him through the tears, afraid.<br>He pulled down her sleeve slightly, but there was no handprint of an angel.  
>"I don't know. What do you remember?"<br>"Nothing." She said, a little too quickly.  
>"Tell me." He commanded.<br>She sighed, debating. She finally decided to tell him _some_ of the truth. "Dean, I was in Hell. That's all I know. And I can remember each part of it, perfectly, like its burned into my memory. I've been hallucinating. It was horrible."  
>"What was your last memory in Hell?"<br>"I…" The death of each person she cared about, repeated painfully, the meories scorching her.  
>She remembered their anguished cries as if they were real, and it pained her to recall it.<br>"What?"  
>"Dean I don't want to talk about it."<br>He understood completely.

She reached into his back pocket. Knife, salt… Holywater. She dumped it over his head, then returned to hugging him.

"Good." She whispered. He kept a straight face, though he was slightly annoyed that everyone thought he was a demon.  
>"Did you see me as a demon?"<br>She didn't meet his eyes. "Everything scared me, Dean."  
>He pulled up her chin, making her hazel eyes meet his green ones. "Elle. I swear to you right now. I'm not going back to that thing. You don't have to worry."<br>His lips traveled to hers, and the sweet moment lasted for what seemed like forever. Sam coughed as they received stares. They could both practically hear him rolling his eyes.  
>They parted. "I'm sorry, Dean. I didn't know if you were still you, and I thought I'd be hunted or something, since I'm not supposed to be alive. I thought-"<br>"That for some reason I'd want to hurt you? That I hated you for everything you've ever done? I felt the same way after I went to Hell. And it was all bullshit when I got out."  
>"Dean, I'm sorry."<br>"For what?"  
>"For everything I did. Shit, I screwed up your life."<br>"If that's it, then I should be apologizing to you. I made you into a Hunter."  
>"Shut up. You need to stop blaming everything on yourself. Not everything falls on you." She sighed. "Dean, I love you, but you have too much you're dragging behind you."<br>He knew she was right, but couldn't bring himself to forgive all the things he did, even when the others around him already did. She kissed him on the cheek, and met Sam half way around the rack.  
>She rushed into Sam's arms, hugging him tight. The smell of plaid and books were familiar on him, and she knew she was home. She felt his long hair on her face and she blew it away.<br>"You need to cut it." She laughed, and he looked down at her happily, but also slightly defensive of his hair.  
>"Yeah. Not going to happen."<br>"You should let me braid it, Rapunzel."  
>"Also not going to happen"<br>They both laughed a little.

"Welcome back" Sam said, his eyes wet, even though he smiled.

She couldn't help but get a lump in her throat, which she swallowed back forcefully.

She looked around. "Cas isn't with you guys?"  
>The brothers exchanged a glance.<br>"What happened?" She asked, worried.  
>"We're not sure." Sam said, and Dean was still silent. "Have you heard from Cas?"<p>

"No." She responded, confused.  
>"We tried praying, and we even asked Hannah. She told us it was 'confidential', but we think his disappearance had something to do with you."<br>"How?" She asked, suddenly feeling guilty.  
>Dean spoke up, "Long story short: I summoned Death and he said the angels wanted you. Turns out you weren't in hell when he came for you, and he told me to ask Cas, who wasn't there."<br>She nodded. "So, that's it? He's gone?" They began walking towards the exit, and Dean held open the door while they discussed it.  
>"It doesn't make any sense." Sam said, climbing into the passenger seat of the Impala.<br>Elena didn't even think about her car. She climbed into the '67s back seat.  
>"Castiel. If you can hear me, come here now."<br>Dean and Sam both looked back to her and the seats next to her. They remained empty. They turned back towards the windshield.  
>"You called?"<br>"Cas!" Elle dived into his arms, and he hugged her tightly.  
>"Cas? What the hell, man?" Dean stared surprised into the back seat, and Sam's head snapped around to see the trench-coated angel.<br>"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner. You all needed to hear this."  
>"So you couldn't have told me sooner?" Dean asked angrily.<br>"It's not that simple." Cas stated, looking over to Elena's confused expression. "I missed you." He said, and she smiled, planting a light kiss on his cheek. He seemed startled by the affection, even though she did it often.  
>Dean looked to Elena. "Don't trust him. He didn't respond once except now he suddenly does to you. He needs to explain."<br>Cas looked back to Dean sadly and opened his mouth to speak.  
>"Don't you start on that secret bull shit." He said, and looked pointedly at Cas, as if demanding an answer. The angel's eyes flickered over everyone in turn.<br>"Dean. When you were a demon, there was a reason I was so upset when you were injecting her with your blood."  
>Dean turned his head, not wanting to meet Elena's gaze. He had sent her to Hell, killed her himself when he did that. He paved that road, and she had no choice but to follow it.<br>Castiel continued. "There's something amongst beings like myself,, as well as demons. They can be bound by blood. All it takes is one to transfer blood to the other. There's a rule among us to never perform that blood ritual again after the mass effect it had. A demon, Deterrance, he transferred his blood to hundreds of demons, then tried to overthrow Lucifer himself. Every time one of the blood monsters died, they were revived only a day later. Then they returned to the battle. Once Deterrance was killed, all the blood monsters dropped dead, because of the bond. Only a select few survived."  
>Everyone was listening intently, and Cas seemed reluctant to tell them the last part, even though they already knew.<br>"Elena is blood-bound to you."  
>Everyone was silent until Dean broke the quiet.<br>"Heh. So? She's fine, right?" He asked, his fear visible and audible in his expression and tone.  
>"If you die, so does she. If you become a demon again, so does she. Dean, if anything happens to you, she's affected as well. The only thing that isn't transferred is sickness injury, but if it's a long-term one, it can harm her negatively. That's the primary function of the Blood-tied. To be invincible slaves, that respond to their master's health."<br>"Master?" Sam asked, slightly in disbelief.  
>"Yes. He technically became her blood-bound master. He could control her if he desired."<br>Dean tried not to focus on controlling her, but after Cas mentioned it, it happened naturally. The edges of his vision became blurred, and he immediately changed the subject.  
>"So how do we break this blood-bond?" He asked, worry penetrating his shield of bravery.<br>Dean turned around and started the car, and the click of buckles along with the start of the engine delayed Castiel's answer.  
>"Well?"<br>"I'm not sure. The only record would be in the book of Enchion, the story of Deterrance, but I can't get it."  
>"Why not?"<br>"Because I'm an angel."  
>"Then we can get it. We've been to heaven before." Suggested Sam<br>"The problem is, it isn't in Heaven... Besides, humans can't retrieve the book either." He glanced towards Elena, then as if he felt guilty, he looked away. Dean noticed his glance.  
>"Hell no. She's not going to get that book alone."<br>Elena but her lip, then decided. "What would I have to do?"  
>"Elle." Said Sam, looking over to where Dean sat angrily, glaring at the angel. He was warning her of Dean's possible mood spark, that could occur at any moment.<br>"If I decided to do this." She added, hoping to appease him.  
>"You'd have to go back to hell." Castiel answered, his voice full of sadness and guilt. He wished there was another way.<br>"What?" She asked, incredulous. Dean looked ready to stomp on the brakes and crash just to kill Castiel, and so Sam placed a hand on his shoulder.  
>"The reason the Angels needed you was so that you could retrieve it for us before you were revived. Unfortunately, we were too late."<br>"Obviously." Dean replied, frustration and anger forced into the word.  
>Cas looked up to Dean apologetically, even though he was speaking to Elena. "We'd have to kill you again."<br>Dean glared into the rear view mirror. "You don't respond to us for days, and when you do return, you want to kill her?"  
>"She'll be resurrected within 24 hours..." Castiel added, as if that would help.<br>"You want me to go back there?" Elena mumbled, and everyone turned towards her.  
>"Elle, don't." Dean told her, taking his eyes off the road for a second.<br>"Elle. You don't have to do this." Sam offered, "But it's your choice."  
>Cas looked at her pleadingly. "It's the only way to save you, as well as Dean. That book belongs to Heaven. As of right now we're restricted in some of our powers because of Hell's possession of the book."<br>Elena looked up at the angel, feeling sympathetic. She knew how it hurt him to see his brothers and sisters in distress. She then looked at Dean, feeling guilty. She had hurt him so much already.  
>When she looked towards Sam, a hope ran through her. A sudden confidence that it would be alright, no matter what she chose.<br>"I'll do it."  
>What had she just said? Could she really face that place again after what happened? What if she came back worse than before?<br>Castiel nodded, his emotion one of sadness and guilt. Dean's was twisted in rage. "You're not going back, Elle."  
>"Dean..." Sam said, in a warning tone.<br>"What, Sammy? You just want me to let her die again?" They reached the motel parking lot and Dean cut the engine swiftly, spinning in his seat to meet Elena's eyes. His green eyes burned demandingly, but behind them was a careful softness, the part if him that was afraid. He was trying to hide it with thick sarcasm and a dick attitude. Elena leaned up and kissed him, and as she began to pull back, he pulled her forward and kissed her for a longer time. "I love you." He said. "I don't want to lose you again."  
>Castiel cleared his throat, but Dean didn't pay attention. He was only focused on her until Cas said "There is a way for you to watch her progress."<br>Dean's head moved to face Castiel quickly. "How?"  
>Sam seemed interested as well, as Cas started speaking. "If we can find a human, any human, they could be a gateway..."<br>"Where could we find a human willing to do that?"  
>They were all silent.<br>"Dean. I know someone. And I was recently staying at their house."  
>"You mean the 1938 something Boulevard place?"<br>She nodded, chewing the inside of her gum, hoping Nicole would still be home.  
>"So we'll go see her tomorrow." Sam said. "Actually, I might go check out the place tonight."<br>Dean nodded. "Alright. Me and Elle will chill here." He passed the keys to the Impala to Sam, and they got out of the car.  
>"So, did you show up at that house yesterday?"<br>"At first. Then we got tired of waiting and just followed the tracker. It was mostly Sam in there, though. I was in the Impala, waiting to go."  
>"Oh." She tried to imagine Sam and Nicole making small talk, but she couldn't.<br>"Well let's head back inside." Dean shot a glance around. "Looks like Cas is gone again."  
>Elena sighed as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "He probably is going to tell the other Angels the plan."<br>They walked into the motel lobby, and climbed up the stairs to the third floor, and to room 0317.  
>Dean used the keys to unlock the room, and they laid down in bed, both exhausted.<br>"I love you, Dean." Elena said, as she was just about unconscious.  
>"Love you too." He responded, his eyelids falling shut against his eyes.<p>

Elena awoke, a weight on her stomach and chest. She smiled, expecting Dean to be sprawled out across the bed again.  
>She then opened her eyes, Sam lying on top of her, his body spread horizontally across the bed as if he came in and dropped to the bed, passed out. She slid up to a sitting position so that he was on her legs.<br>She sniffed, the distinctive smell of alcohol staining him.  
>"Sam." She whispered, afraid to wake up the Dean next to her. She shook his shoulder "Sam!"<br>He jumped a little as he woke, then laid his head back down, facing towards her, a blank stare on his face.  
>She noticed his hair was messy, his shirt buttoned improperly, and put the pieces together, as he began to sit up.<br>"You banged Nicole!" She accused, and as if to confirm it, Sam got defensive about it.  
>"What? No. Why would I even- I mean I was grabbing your stuff from her house, she wasn't even home!"<p>

They both knew there was no new things in the motel room, proving that was a lie.  
>"I bet you got real close when you first came to look for me. Then tonight you planned to meet her for dinner. You drank a whole lot of beer and then you banged my friend." She said, and Sam rubbed his head. "I hope that hangover hurts."<br>Dean rolled over on top of her arm, and she still had a drunk moose on her lap.  
>"Nicole was-"<br>"Don't tell me your sex story, man!"  
>"I wasn't gonna." He mumbled, rubbing his eyes as he tried to wake up more fully. He was still drowsy from the rough night. "I was going to say she was willing to help us in any way."<br>"Did she say that before, or after she slept with you?"  
>He narrowed his eyes at her and laid back down, his back across her torso. "Sam!" She groaned, pushing on his shoulder blades to get him off of her, extremely difficult while her boyfriend was on top of one of her arms.<br>He mumbled something about "going back to sleep" and she sighed, giving up.  
>"Cas." She said aloud, hoping he would answer. "Cas." She repeated, but he didn't show up to help her.<br>She shut her eyes, bored until she drifted into a short nap. When she woke, Dean was pushing Sam off of her and onto the floor. He then, rolled on top of her, his head resting on her shoulder, and his feet hanging off the bed.  
>"Mine." He mumbled, still half-asleep as Sam jolted awake, and stood suddenly, looking dizzy.<br>"Someone still has a hangover." She said, laughing as he looked around, confused, then realized it was Dean that pushed him off. He dragged his feet over to the other bed and slammed down onto the mattress to pass out again.  
>Dean sighed on her and she struggled to move him, she had almost gotten him off when he wrapped his arms around her, his arms overlapping behind her back.<br>"I'm awake." He groaned, and she stopped pushing, letting him fall back into her.  
>"I've been suffocating all night." She complained.<br>He mumbled something under his breath and it was a while before he moved again, pushing himself up, so he was holding himself up with his arms. He smiled sleepily, and kissed her.  
>She narrowed her eyes at him. "You're heavier than he is, and he's taller."<br>Dean glared down at her in annoyance, then climbed off of the bed. She did too, and stretched her arms above her head.  
>"What happened to Sammy?" He asked, looking down at his brother, who was snoring, face down on the second bed.<br>"He got drunk and had sex last night."  
>"With who?" He asked, incredulously.<br>"Nicole." She answered, a smirk settling on her face. He grinned, anticipating the teasing when Sam woke up.  
>"He came home sometime last night, and ended up falling, drunk on top of us. I don't know how we didn't feel it, but when I woke up he was there, crushing my rib cage." She laughed, tossing a blanket over Sam's motionless body.<br>They both ended up in the kitchen, making themselves bowls of cereal. They had less than a half a gallon of milk left, so they used it sparingly, not wanting to have to go to the store today.  
>Elena yawned, pulling a spoon out of the drawer, and placing it into her bowl. She passed one to Dean and they both leaned against the counter, eating.<br>"So, we call Cas and head to Nicky's?" Elena asked in between bites. Dean nodded, his mouth full.  
>"Yep." He said, his words slurred by the blockage of FrostedFlakes.<br>She punched his arm. "Gross, man." But she laughed anyways, and he swallowed, smiling towards her. He leaned down and kissed her, their lips parting to meet. Their eyes closed and Dean wrapped an arm around her shoulders, one hand holding onto the bowl of cereal.  
>Elena pulled back. "Dean. What's wrong?" She asked, noticing the sadness and dread radiating from him. She dumped her empty bowl into the sink, and leaned against the counter space next to him.<br>He placed down his bowl, suddenly not hungry, then stuffed his hands into his pockets, leaning against the counter.  
>"I don't know if I can let you do this..."<br>"Do what?"  
>"Go and get the book of endo-whatever. I went to Hell and back, and I wouldn't want to ever go back. Why do you want to?"<br>"Dean, I don't want to. But I need to fix this. I know you already have all this guilt and a hell of a lot of problems on your shoulders. You don't need to be worrying about me while you're hunting. Because you know you'll have to stay perfectly safe in order for me to be fine. I'd go to Hell every time I died again, and then I'd come back to life and repeat the process. And what if Sam sacrificed himself to save you, so that we could live? There's too many problems that come with this blood-binding thing."  
>Dean looked to her, shocked. "But then why would you want to do it? We could force any demon to do it for us, or some other monster-thing."<br>"Dean, I'm one of those monster-things."  
>He didn't want to admit the truth. She was something they would hunt in any normal situation. Demons and Angels both were after her as of right now, and Dean was sure that the angels would have already killed her if Cas hadn't convinced Heaven to give them a chance with the book. The demons would be hunting her when she was down in Hell, and it was their home turf, an even more dangerous venture than fighting them anywhere else.<br>"Elle, I'm sorry, I just don't want to lose you again. What if you came back worse than before?"  
>Elena looked away from his piercing gaze, his green worried eyes making her feel doubtful of the plan. He was genuinely worried, and Sam was probably in the same place as him, even if he didn't show it.<br>"Dean, I'm as worried as you are... But I have to do this to save us both."  
>"Did you even consider how Sam feels about this?"<br>She looked over to him sleeping on the bed, one side of his face smushed against the bed, making his mouth deformed in a strange U shape. She smiled a little as she looked at him, the overgrown child of the Winchester brothers.  
>"Dean, I love you both. You know I wouldn't do this if I wasn't sure."<br>"Now you're being stupid. You're not sure. Don't lie to me."  
>"I know what I'm doing. Asshole..." She muttered, pushing him away and crossing her arms.<br>He stood there, confused. "Elle, how do you know that? What if you're wrong and you disappear again? This time you won't have your phone, a place to stay... Anything."  
>She didn't respond.<br>"And what if once you get the book, you're cured and you die for good? Even Cas isn't sure you'll survive."  
>"What?" She asked, her voice filled with rage. Her eyes burned like fire when she turned towards him, hands clenched into fists by her side. "When did he tell you this?"<br>Dean realized he said too much and he avoided her gaze. "He uh..."  
>"Dean. What did he say, and when?"<br>He looked down at her eyes, deciding wither or not to tell her. "Last night I left the motel and called on Cas... We talked and... Well, he.. He told me the real story about the whole Enchion story."  
>"What's the truth?"<br>Dean ran a hand through his spikes, his hair falling back into place almost immediately. "All the followers of Deterrance dropped dead after the angels tried to save them."  
>She looked frightened when he finished, and he suddenly regretted telling her.<br>"That's why you I don't want me to go?"  
>"That, and every power of hell will be trying to find and destroy you."<br>She hugged herself as a chill ran down her spine. "You shouldn't have told me. Because now you know I'll do it either way."  
>He was frozen, his eyes wide and mouth slightly open as he gaped. "You'd do that to yourself? Well what about Sam? What about me, or Cas, or your friend, Nicole?"<br>"Nothing's more important to me than family, Dean. But me dying and getting that book back will be a shit ton better than doing nothing and suffering hell each and every day. I still get nightmares, and I'm still hallucinating. You don't get what it's like to be this thing. It affects you far worse than a normal Hell trip. My experience made yours look like a damn vacation." She was on the verge of shouting, her voice rising. "If you think I'd let you all suffer because I'm this... Thing... Then you're wrong. I'm the one going through this, and I'm going to fix it."  
>She spun on her heel and stormed out of the kitchen.<br>Sam shot up from the bed and squinted at her. "Elle, what's wrong?"  
>She slammed the door of the motel room as she walked out, tears of frustration streaming down her face.<br>Sam looked towards the kitchen where Dean looked after her, glaring, looking like he always did when someone wasn't listening to him.  
>"What did you do now, man?" Sam asked, sighing and getting up to follow her.<br>"She's suicidal, Sammy." Dean said before he had left. Sam turned around and looked questioningly at him.  
>"So she's like me?" Sam asked, knowing Dean only got this angry when he was trying to protect something he loved. "Just like every time I tried to do something that would help us, and you said it was dangerous?"<br>"You're supposed to be drunk, aren't you?"  
>"See, there you go again. You make a joke out of things whenever you're scared. I know you, Dean."<br>His older brother slammed a fist on the counter "Damn it, Sammy." As his brother left the room, going to search for Elena. Dean tossed on his jacket and grabbed his keys, walking out of the room and locking the door behind him.  
>Sam and Elena weren't there when he got to the parking lot. Maybe they walked, maybe they took a cab, or maybe they were close by. He climbed into his Impala either way, and drove off towards Nicole's house, speeding down the road, far above the speed limit, daring anyone to try and pull him over.<br>He was pulling into her driveway in under five minutes, noticing Elena and Sam in the window. He saw Nicole by the window, doing something by the curtains, and she gasped when she looked at him, then began to glare daggers, shutting the curtains quickly.  
><em>What did I do to her?<em> He asked himself.  
>He climbed out of the Impala, and strode up to the door. This was the first time he met Nicole, so he wondered why she hated him already.<br>He knocked on the door, and waited, impatience growing.  
>The door swung open, and there stood Nicole, angry eyed again.<br>"You're that shit-brain from the phone!" She shouted accusingly, pointing a finger at him. He raised one of his eyebrows slightly.  
>"Excuse me, what?" He asked, completely confused.<br>"I saw you on her caller ID! After you called her, she was a sobbing mess! Hell, she started screaming randomly, like she was terrified of you! What the hell did you do to her?" She was shouting, and before he could answer, she punched him in the face, his jaw bone taking most of the impact. He grabbed her wrist, and she began screaming, "Let go!" She punched with her other hand, and as Sam and Elena made it to the door, they had front row seats to watch his knee cap get kicked repeatedly.  
>Elena reacted quickly, grabbing Nicole's elbow. Nicole paused in her rampage. "Is this the ass-hole that dumped you?"<br>"Nicky, don't you think you're overreacting, just a little?" She asked. "Dean didn't dump me, and he didn't hurt me."  
>"Then why did he just try to rape me?" She asked, and Dean released her, shocked and confused by her accusation, and she kneed him in the crotch.<br>Sam sucked in a breath of air, sympathizing.  
>Elena rushed passed Nicole, trying to hold Dean up as he filled his cheeks with air, doubling over in pain. "Damn, Nicole!" She said, leading him into the house.<br>"So he isn't the jerk-tub that dumped you?" She asked, confused.  
>"No! I mean, yes he's the guy that you thought dumped me, but he didn't dump me, or hurt me, or rape me, or anything like that!"<br>Nicole's eyes widened, and she laughed nervously. "Oh." She said, slightly embarrassed. Sam was suppressing laughter as Dean mumbled "not funny." to Sam.  
>Nicole got out of their way as Elle plopped Dean onto the couch. His arm was still tightly wrapped with hers, and it pulled her down too.<br>"Ow, Dean!" She fell onto his lap and pushed herself up again, standing. She sighed, and looked him over. "Nicky, go get an ice pack. You did serious damage. If you ruin his jaw-line, you'll never be forgiven." Dean's eyes widened as she talked about his face being deformed, desperately hoping she was joking. Nicole rushed off to the kitchen and quickly returned with ice wrapped in a hand towel.  
>"Sorry..." She mumbled as she handed it to him.<br>"It's good." He said, holding the ice to his jaw. Sam was still suffocating from the hidden laughter.  
>"Did I break anything?" Nicole whispered to Elena, and Dean looked to her, scared.<br>"Well, did she?" He asked, the worry bringing his voice up half an octave as he sat forward.  
>"Maybe." She shrugged.<br>He wasn't amused by her sarcasm.  
>She laughed, dropping onto the sofa and kissing where the bruise was forming. "It might be a little black-and-blue, but you'll be fine."<br>His ears turned red as she babied him like that, and he turned away from her.  
>Nicole excused herself to the bathroom, and Sam sat on the single seat couch to the left of them.<br>"Should we do it now?" Asked Sam, and Dean glared at him while Elena considered.  
>"Just a bit longer." She replied, cuddling up to Dean. His arm fell around her, rubbing her shoulder. They both knew these might be their last moments together. She looked up to him and they kissed, sweet and long. They parted only when Sam cleared his throat.<br>"Sorry, Sammy. Better learn to deal with it." Dean smirked, and turned his attention to the angel that was now standing in the center of the living room. Castiel looked depressed, his shoulders slouched and his frown obvious.  
>Nicole strolled into the living room, spotting Cas.<br>"Hi." She said, her face bright pink, and she got slowly closer until she stood beside him. "You're uh-cute. I mean... Your hair is- uh I like your eyes? Not that I'd want to take then out and put then in a jar, like I'm not creepy like that-er... I mean that I...hi." She smiled and her face was even more red.  
>Castiel looked at her strangely. "I don't understand any of the dialect you used. I might understand better if you spoke English or Enochian?"<br>"I'd love to learn! Enochian, I mean, like I uh, already know English." She laughed nervously, at her sad attempt to flirt.  
>"I'll attempt to teach you if you'd wish. Although it might be difficult for a human to understand at first. Perfect translations don't exist in any Earthly languages."<br>"Wow. You're smart." She said, dumbly. "I'm not- I mean- I'm smart too! Just ask me any question!"  
>"What happened to your flesh?" He stared curiously at her reddening face, and she laughed nervously, wondering why he didn't notice she was blushing. Either way, she was glad he didn't know she had even attempted to flirt. It had been a sorry try, and anyone would sympathize with how stupid she felt at that moment.<br>Dean and Elena had been enjoying the show, especially since Sam was sitting right there after he had had intercourse with her last night. They watched Sam fidgeting, tapping his fingers against the arm rest, and bouncing his knee repeatedly.  
>"So, Cas how do we do the whole portal thing, again?" He asked, cutting their conversation short.<br>"Oh right!" Exclaimed Nicole. "The magic trick!"  
>"Magic trick?" Dean asked, looking at Sam.<br>"Uh, yeah. I promised to show her yesterday."  
>"Uh huh!" Nicole said excitedly. "So what do I need to do?"<br>Cas looked over to her. "Are you a virgin?"  
>Her face was on fire, far quicker than a fire could normally spread. "I- umm... No. I just... Uh I..."<br>Dean and Elena exchanged a look, laughing out loud.  
>"Good. Otherwise, you would die."<br>"The- I have to have had sex for the magic to work?" She backed away slowly, but Castiel tapped her head and she fell, dead asleep onto the ground.  
>"And why does she need to be a non-virgin?" Asked Sam.<br>"If she was still virtuous, she wouldn't be able to give a clear view to hell." He traced a line from her collar bone to her abdomen. Her body opened up, exposing a black space where her organs would have been.  
>"What the hell?" Dean asked, slightly disgusted.<br>Cas looked up. "Yes, that is hell. It will show us Elena when she goes down there."  
>Dean nodded, and they all came to stand next to Cas. Dean squeezed Elena's hand tightly. "I'm sorry." At the edge of her possible death and suffering, Dean cried. She wrapped her arms around his stomach and when she pulled away, left tear marks across his tee. He took off his jacket, putting it over her shoulders. "I packed demon knives and holy water in the pockets." He smiled sadly.<br>She was grateful, and she kissed him, her hand running through his hair. This was possibly the last time she would see him.  
>"Dean. I'm sorry." Tears streamed down her face, but she grinned, as if confident. She was shaken, afraid of what would happen if she didn't come back.<br>"Please come back." He said, his hand resting on the back of her neck. He then smiled. "I don't want to lose my favorite jacket."  
>She kissed him again, smiling at his simple joke.<br>"I love you."  
>"I love you more." He whispered back.<br>She came to stand before Sam, who was fighting back tears. "So you figured it out, huh Sam?"  
>"You could die?" Sam asked, and a tear betrayed him as it slowly fell from his eye.<br>"Yeah. But there's always the chance that I won't." She smiled reassuringly, knowing the sadness was visible through her smile.  
>He hugged her, and being far bigger than her, he practically covered her entirely. "Bye, my big moose." She laughed, smiling into his plaid. She ruffled his long hair. "I'll be back to complain about your hair later."<br>He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. His deep fear showed plainly.  
>She turned, and came to stand before Castiel, who watched her with sad and sympathetic eyes. "I'm sorry. This is my fault."<br>"I made the decision." She kissed his cheek. "Thanks for being there." She said, sliding her arms into his trench coat to hug him. "I'll be back within a day, right."  
>He also put his arms around her. "No. There's still the chance you could be spent here for days, months, or years. I really don't know." More tears flooded her eyes, and she was confident that Castiel would have cried if he could have.<br>"Just don't tell Dean." She whispered. She pulled out of the hug and walked back towards Nicole's unconscious body.  
>"I'll see you later, Nicky." She smiled down at her friend.<br>She reached into Dean's jacket pocket, pulling out a blade. She placed it, tip first, to touch her stomach, but someone grabbed her arms.  
>"Elle." She turned and Dean looked at her with flooded eyes. "I'll do it. You don't have to." She smiled, wiping away a tear.<br>"You sure you have the stomach for it?" She asked, smiling sadly up at him. Her voice was barely above a whisper, and he knew she was afraid.  
>He didn't respond, just took the knife from her and hugged her tightly. She planted a kiss on his cheek, and then grasped the hand that wasn't holding the knife.<br>Dean worked up the courage, not wanting to close his eyes. He was going to make sure he never forgave himself if she died for good that day.  
>He jerked the knife towards her, but stopped himself. What was he doing? Killing her... It was wrong.<br>Elena took his other hand, now holding both. She places both of his hands together, and looked up to him.  
>He wasn't ready. She guided his hands towards her heart in slow motion.<br>He wasn't ready.  
>"Elle!" He shouted as blood flew from her chest, her heart stopping. Black tendrils raced out of the portal and flew into the wound, attaching themselves to her. Castiel stopped Dean as he went to pull them off of her.<br>Her lips moved soundlessly, and he tried to read what she was saying as she fell to the ground.  
>She landed with a soft thud, and he stood, stricken with shock, his hands still in the same place, blood falling from the blade, to the ground below.<br>Her body became a black smoke, even her clothes disappearing into the mist, and flowing into the portal opening from Nicole's body. The portal burst into black flames, and Sam and Castiel took tentative steps forward to peer into the opening.  
>Dean replayed the image of her falling again and again, until he had figured out what she had said.<br>Why did she say that? Why did she love him, after all the shitty things he had done in life? No one had ever cared about him besides maybe Sammy and Bobby, and yet here she was, loving a walking abomination, who had screwed up her life. He was a disaster, and yet she still hugged him, cried for him, kissed him, loved him, protected him…

_Needed_ him. She _needed_ him.  
>He knew what she had told him, what she didn't have the voice to say. She had mouthed it clearly, hoping for him to see the words that meant more than anything in the world to a Winchester.<br>'I need you.'


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's note: Do you like adventures through Hell with a 91748492568403% chance of never coming back? Yes? So do I! So here's your story:**  
>Elena stumbled at first, her new surroundings surprising her. She was in hell, all right, but not in chains like last time. She looked around, slightly afraid of what she would see. Nothing appeared to happen, so she took a step forward.<br>Again, othing happened, and she began moving at her normal pace, checking out the room she was in.  
>She hadn't asked Cas where the book would be.<br>"Shit." She said, and she ran a hand through her dark mess of hair.  
>"Cas! A little help? Where's the Enchion?"<br>She felt his presence in her mind.  
><em>'Right now you're near Crowley's "throne" room. It will be somewhere near there. They have to have a sort of treasury.'<em>  
>She nodded and felt him leave. Her surroundings were silent except for the soft rumble of voices from outside the room.<br>She leaned into the door, straining her ears. She heard the accent of Crowley, along with another demon, who seemed Irish.  
>She tried to make out their conversation.<br>"-need it anyways!"  
>"She's still here. So find her, and everything is resolved. She's dead, the book's secret is dead." She heard Crowley speaking.<br>"If we kill her, they'll just send someone else."  
>"Then kill them. Kill them all." The King responded.<br>She heard no noise after that, and she opened the door a crack. Looking around, the 'throne' room was empty.  
>She tiptoed into the room, spotting the king of Hell's chair in the back center of the room. She looked at the pillow seated on his throne, and she smiled wickedly, glad to have enough time to mark it with a demon trap.<br>Making sure Crowley's ass got stuck to that pillow became one of her top priorities, behind finding the book and getting home safely. She cut the tip of her finger barely, using one of the knives in her pockets. She drew the trap carefully on the bottom of the pillow, wishing she would have the chance to see Crowley walking around with it stuck to him.

"Remove this. Now. I am your king. I command you." She mimicked his accent, and placed the seat-pillow back where it was originally, hoping he wouldn't notice it had been moved.  
>She moved to the other side of the room, opening the door in the front of the room barely a crack, her having come from the back-end of the throne room. She spotted no demons, and so she walked out, making sure to hide behind crates and boxes occasionally.<br>"Cas! Which way?"  
><em>'I'm not familiarized with Hell. They wouldn't keep it here though. Its power is too holy. They'd keep it in a quarantine cell of some sort.'<em>  
>She nodded, and started moving a little faster, checking each turn before making it, and looking for doors along the way. It seemed to just be one long, empty hallway.<br>She jogged to the exit, trying to listen to the other side of the door. What she heard didn't make sense, so she opened it up, expecting a machine or something. Instead, an office full of workers typing away on computers, making calls, and taking lunch beaks in their cubicles sat behind the door. Upon closer inspection, each worker was in fact a demon. "So this I what keeps Hell up and running..." She mumbled, not surprised.

A man in an all black suit approached her. "Are you the new-comer? You're in prison hall."  
>"What?" She asked, confused.<br>"Well get down there!" He said, patting her on the back, and then he looked her up and down, then back up to meet her eyes. "Where have I seen that jacket before?" He asked, his eyes narrowing as if trying to recall  
>She tugged Dean's jacket defensively around her, and even though it was far too big, it felt perfect.<br>"I don't know. But it's mine." She stomped off towards the sign that read 'prison.'  
>To think, this was what Hell was really like, behind the whole torture thing.<br>She swung open the door carefully, peering into the prison holdings. If this was where the humans were tortured, couldn't she be harmed easily if she stepped foot in there?  
>She took a hesitant step forward, and she was teleported somewhere else.<br>"You don't have the stomach for it." Dean stood in from of her, and she walked around him to see Sam holding a knife to his brother's throat. Dean was a demon. Sam pulled the knife away from his brother's throat, as expected, and she was sent somewhere else.  
>John Winchester walked through the forest, his boots crunching in the leaves and twigs. She walked behind him, nowhere else to go, and they came to a clearing, a bloody mess. Some large animal sat in between two children, and it seemed the animal had exploded. One child was simply standing there, scared, while the other, completely terrified, was on the ground, looking up at the other boy. She then realized the boy on the ground was child Dean, soaked head to toe in blood. The other on was Sam, also covered in blood.<br>John looked towards Sam as if he was a monster, first asking Dean if he was okay. It was easy to see that Sam had done something, him standing there, crying as Dean was helped up. "I'm sorry!" He said, tears flowing faster, as she was sent to another memory.  
>She ended up in a nursery, a crib with a baby who was crying. A man stood over the child, and he held a knife. She gasped, but her hand traveled through him as she tried to grab him. It was a memory. She couldn't stop it.<br>He then slit his wrist, and she was confused until he held the blood to the child's mouth.  
>Sam. This was his Hell she was experiencing.<br>The demon's eyes were glowing a bright yellow as the blood dripped onto the child's face and into his mouth. She heard soft footsteps coming from the hallway, and the door swung open to reveal Mary, her face struck with horror. "Sam!" Se shouted, running towards the demon. He flicked a wrist upwards and she was flung up to the ceiling, pinned there. "Sam!" She shouted again, this time it sounded like she was choking.  
>Fire erupted around her, and she was engulfed in flame, setting the roof around her on fire. Her nightgown billowed around her and Elena covered her mouth, pain surrounding her chest. Sam would have to see all of this. Sam still thinks it's his fault. John had entered by the time the demon was gone, and he looked horror struck, grabbing Sam and forcing him into Dean's arms. "Dean, take your brother and run." He commanded.<br>"But, Dad-"  
>"Just do it!"<br>Dean nodded and ran with Sam out of the house and onto the street. John had dropped to his knees, yelling angrily, holding his head in his hands. "Mary!"  
>She almost fell over as she came back to the Hell prison. That's what Sam would see when he died? She peered down the hall. Would she have to see more? She didn't want to watch any more of that, it was torture enough to know Sam would be shouting and crying.<br>She took another step forward, carefully, and was glad to see she was fine. She looked at the different prison doors, names engraved on each one. One caught her eye, and she read it.  
>'Sam Winchester'<br>Is that why she had seen those things? Her hand ran over the door and it changed suddenly to 'Chelsea Reiner.' She had no idea who that was, but she felt bad for the girl who had to go to Hell.  
>She ran her hands over the other door names and they all changed. There were six doors in total, three on each side, as well as a door at the back of the hallway and the front, the front one she had entered from The end door was locked tightly when she tried the knob. Either way it would have to wait. She focused on a specific name, and wiped her hand across one of the labels.<br>'Dean Winchester'  
>He had come back and acted so strangely, not once giving them any insight as to what he saw. He was still sensitive about it. She hoped they couldn't see what exactly she was doing as she opened the door. <p>

"Cas, where is she?" Asked Dean as she disappeared again.  
>"This isn't supposed to happen." The angel mumbled, checking over the portal. Sam looked down into the black, thinking. They were all in silence as she reappeared, almost five minutes later.<br>"What was that?" He asked, watching her look of confusion and shock. They watched her staring at the doors in the hallway, rubbing her hand across them repeatedly. She then shut her eyes next to a door, looking like she was concentrating as she drew we hand across it. She looked around, opening the door, and she disappeared again.  
>"Cas, can you rewind or something like that?" Dean asked.<br>"I can alter time in the portal to see what was on the door." He said, and he reached an arm into the black, twisting his arm a few times. When he retracted his hand, it was changing their view to the inscription on the door.  
>'Dean Winchester'<br>"What does that mean?" Asked Dean, looking down at it, confused.  
>"Behind that door is your personal Hell. She's a human, so she's easily pulled into the torture of Hell. She may pretend to have a reason to go in there, but the real reason is the influence Hell has on humans."<br>"I thought she wasn't human any more?"  
>"But she till has that essential element. Emotion."<br>She looked around for any sign of Dean, and then she spotted him, holding Sam's lifeless body. She was sent through scene after scene of Sam hurt or dead in his arms. Tears flowed down her face as she watched each painful memory, Dean's sad expression the same almost every single time.  
>The Impala was now in front of her, and John was speaking down to Dean.<br>"I wouldn't have given you it if I knew you'd break it." He was complaining about the rust that wasn't there on the car.  
>Dean's memories of his father weren't the brightest ones. She watched each one in turn, him yelling at Dean to go faster, dodge quicker, to do it already. Why did Dean respect his dad so much?<p>

Then she saw Dean as a terrified child as he sat on the street below his burning house, baby Sam in his arms. John and Mary were still inside, and he was crying. He was a child, and he was driven to this, forced to watch their house burn, not knowing what was happening to his parents inside the fire. Dean looked up suddenly, sniffing. "Who're you?" She looked down to see him speaking straight to her.  
>"I'm Elena."<br>"Where'd you come from?" He held Sam closer, protective. She bent down next to him.  
>"Dean, you and Sam will have a lot to deal with in the future. You're lives will be hard, and you'll struggle every day. But promise me you won't give in. You'll struggle through those things, and meet me in Michigan in 20 years, April 29th." She hugged him close, and even though he was tense at first, he began to feel safe in her arms, and she was pulled away from him as she traveled to another memory.<br>"Bye Elle!" He called. 

The blackness glowed red for a moment, and Castiel's eyes widened. "Something happened." He reached his hand into the portal again.  
>"Dean do you remember the night you brought Sam out to the street when your house was burning down?" He asked.<br>It pained the hunter to recall it, but he nodded. "Yeah, so what?"  
>"She changed something. A burst of her emotion altered something in your past or in your Hell."<br>He remembered that night clearly. "I ran outside, sat on the curb and waited. Nothing else happened."  
>Castiel nodded. "Your Hell then. She's managed to alter your hell and speak to your past self. Even though you don't remember it, now it's happened."<br>He was surprised, looking into the blackness. Cas grabbed his arm, pulling it touch the black. "You can see."  
>Dean's eyes stopped showing him the room he was in. Now he was watching Elena hugging a small child who sat on the curb of a street, a small child in his arms. The house behind them was on fire, and he knew this was his memory.<br>Dean couldn't help but smile, a laugh bubbling up in him. He knew his Hell would transfer back to it's original state, and Elle probably didn't know what she was doing anyways, but he felt pride and love watching her encourage him. Each bad memory she was sent to after that, she faced with tears in her eyes.  
>Someone grabbed his shoulder, pulling him out.<br>"If you stay any longer like that, you'll be pulled in." Cas said, looking down at the black. It faded back to Elena, who was now walking towards the door in the back of the hallway. 

Elena tried the door knob again, but it didn't work. She rammed into the metal door, trying to knock it in, but then again, it was a metal door.  
>"Dean, let's hope you a least packed..."<br>She reached into the pockets of the jacket, digging around in the pockets. She found a knife in one, holy water in another, and a flashlight in one of the inside pockets. The rest were empty and there was nothing left to search.  
>"Damn... Nothing to pick the lock."<br>She placed a hand on the door knob.  
>I'm supposed to be connected to this book of Enchion... She thought, trying to figure out a way to use that. She looked up suddenly.<br>"Cas!" She shouted excitedly. "Get Dean to open a door!"  
><em>'Why?'<em>  
>"This blood bind is the only way you can get to the book." She replied.<br>_'He's going to open one. When should he?'_  
>"Three... Two... One...Now." She twisted the door knob at the same time he hopefully was, and the door swung open, the handle making a complete turn.<br>"Thanks angel." She whispered, sliding into the room. There was no light, so she used the flashlight Dean gave her in his jacket. She did a scan of the room with it, then found it to be empty except for a chest in the back. She approached it, kneeling next to the opening. She placed both of her hands on the trunk, pushing up until it popped open with a small click. She looked inside. The book sat alone in the bottom. She collected it, pushing it into the jacket, between her arm and chest.

She returned to the door, walking out of the room, and coming face to face with the demon that had greeted her before.  
>"What were you doing in there?" He asked, annoyed and tapping his foot.<br>"I...uh-"  
>"It doesn't matter. The King requires your assistance. As our new prison guard, you have other duties too."<br>"Shit." She said, and he dragged her along towards the throne room.  
>"I know, shit shit shit, we're going to be late!"<br>She was dragged along, helplessly.  
>"Cas?" She questioned.<br>"You'll get your cash, just hurry up!"  
><em>'I can't pull you out. The only way for you to get out is being resurrected again. Unless a demon sends you to the surface.'<em>

"Likely." She mumbled.  
>Elena then pushed the book deeper into the jacket.<br>"Could I use the restroom first?"  
>"Restroom? Oh right, you're new. Demons don't need to use the bathroom." He continued to pull her by her hand. When he pushed open the door, and no one was there.<br>"Hmm... Guess he already left. You'll have to wait for his return. In the mean time, I need help catching up on my work if you'd help."  
>Anything to get her mind off of the worry she was feeling. How soon before she gets out?<br>"Of course." She said, following him to his office, where he handed her a stack of paper work.  
>"I appreciate the help." He said. "Just fill these out using this information." He handed her a pale-yellow file folder, then sat down at his desk, typing away onto the computer.<br>She looked down at the papers. They were all contracts for selling souls. She wrote down the assigned numbers of the different demons, writing out the human's name and what the deal was, based on the report from the demon in the deal. She noticed most of the cases were stupid.  
>'Sold soul for beauty'<br>'Sold soul for a more exciting job'  
>'Sold soul for money'<br>'...for skills in acting'  
>'...for better athletic ability'<br>'...for abs'  
>She laughed at the last one, and he looked over to her, questioningly.<br>"Why do people sell their souls for this shit?"  
>"We don't tell them it's their soul. We tell them 'we'll come to claim what's ours in ten years.' That way there's not much question. We tell them it's a 'small price.'" He did smile amusingly though, when she pointed out some of the ridiculous deals people had made.<br>"So what deals have you heard of that weren't on paper?" He asked casually, hoping she's heard some of the exciting ones.  
>She was careful, because if she didn't reply about any, he'd be suspicious, but if she gave too much away...<br>"Of course I've heard of the Winchester's deal with Lilith."  
>He nodded, pleased with her answer. "One of our greatest soul collections. Although I do miss having Lilith here… Did you hear about the massacre we performed in Romania?"<br>"Yep." She lied, feigning a laugh with him.  
>"We gained so much power after that. All those people sold their souls for the same exact thing. And they all dropped dead ten years later."<br>She nodded, agreeing. "So... I've heard rumors..." She prodded. "About reversing deals, so that the human gets their soul back but keeps the benefit of the deal. Is that true?"  
>He looked strange. "Who told you that?"<br>"Lots of demons outside of the office are wondering." She lied through her teeth again.  
>"Well... If those papers were changed, then it could be entirely possible for that to happen."<br>She nodded. "So if someone just typed up 'brother comes back to life', that'd be considered a full contract?"  
>"Yes. The exact reason Crowley, our King, created this place. We're here to keep track of and mostly protect the contracts."<br>"Then who created the office setting?"  
>He shrugged. "Maybe the King or someone enjoyed organization and mild humor. 'The office of Hell.'"<p>

"Any other questions?" He asked.

"Yes… What's one way to reverse a demon back to a human?"

He looked up suddenly. "Tell me you aren't planning-"

"No, no." She said, laughing. "I'm just wondering."

"Well, human blood was recently found to work." He leaned in closer to her "Also, recently we discovered that if a demon suffers extreme emotional trauma, he'll be drawn back to his original human form."

She nodded, her eyed asking if there was more.

"I'm not entirely sure on the details, but one man killed his entire family except for one. That one suicide, and he lost it his demonism. He became a human because everything he loved had been destroyed."

"Hmm." She commented.

"I'm sure it's a rumor though."

She barely smiled, nodding, but her eyes showed she was thinking for more than she was paying attention.  
>He noticed, and he waved a hand in front of her face. "You know, you're really curious."<br>"Sorry." She muttered, snapping back to reality.  
>"No, it's fine. I enjoy the company. You should help me more often."<br>Helping him meant spending her time in a small room, out of sight, with a person who didn't entirely act like a demon should. It was better than suffering the memories down in the 'torture hall', or possibly spending all her time in frickin cubicle.  
>Elena nodded. "Do you already have an assistant?"<br>"Actually, last month he was killed by hunters in Colorado."  
>"Oh." She distinctly remembered killing a demon in Colorado last month. "Oh." She repeated.<br>"So there's a position open if you'd like it."  
>"Sure." She said, even though she was completely disinterested.<br>He held out a hand, and when she took it, he shook it vigorously. "Thank you so much! Your first job will be after you finish those." He pointed to the stack and then typed away with a new energy.  
>She sighed, then continued with the work.<br>_Cas. Can you still hear me?_

"Elle. The portal is closing. We can't watch you anymore, and I won't be able to reach you."  
>Dean grabbed Castiel by the shoulder of his coat.<p>

"Why is it closing?" He asked, and Sam held him back as Cas closed the view of Elena with a swipe of his hand.  
>Dean struggled against his brother's grip, close to breaking free.<br>"What did you do?"  
>"Dean, it had to close or Nicole would die." Sam told his brother, struggling to keep him back from Castiel.<br>Cas looked to Dean apologetically. "She says she'll be back soon."  
>Sam released Dean, exhausted, who went to tackle Cas, but the angel was gone.<br>"Damn it!" He shouted.  
>Nicole sat up suddenly. "Where's the hot guy?" She asked sleepily, then fell unconscious again. Castiel reappeared, now that Dean had slightly calmed down.<br>"She'll be asleep for at least a week. She'll be fine though. She won't require nourishment until she awakes."  
>Dean left, still steaming, and him and Sam climbed into the Impala, leaving Cas behind, so he could travel back to Heaven.<br>"Dean, she said she'll be back."  
>"Of course she said that, Sammy. Elle will lie until the angels cry if it means keeping us safe."<br>"You need to relax."  
>"I can't relax when she's down there alone with things that would love to kill her. How long until she gets out, Sam?"<br>"Cas said it could take only a day."  
>"Or months, or years." Dean added, staring only at the asphalt of the road ahead.<br>The motel was in sight now, its shabby and rusted neon sign was missing a few letters, but the stain was left to distinguish 'motel' from 'm_te_'  
>He pulled into the parking lot, Sam completely silent, not wanting to upset him.<br>"The things I said to her today, before we left… The argument Elle and me had... You think she was acting at the house so nobody would notice she was all sad and stuff?"  
>"No." Sam said, "Elle wouldn't be able to fake that. She really loves you, Dean."<p>

"But _why_? I mean how can you love someone that screws up as much as me? I mean, I'm a dick, I'm annoying, I do all these bad things and she'd fine with it."

Sam didn't respond, knowing his brother would deny all possibilities.

The driver turned on the radio, filling the car with classic rock, knowing their arguing normally would have ended up with a smack in the head for both of them from Elena. 

Elena wrote down names and numbers for why seemed like hours, until she finally finished. "Done. So, what am I doing next?"  
>He didn't look away from the screen. "I'm sending you to collect souls under my name."<br>You mean..." She pointed towards the roof. "Up there?"  
>"Yes, the surface. I already have a few set for you." He placed a sticky note in front of her, and she read over it.<br>"Coordinates?" She asked, looking at the numbers closely.  
>"Just teleport to each location and you should be back shortly, I hope."<br>She would make her escape then. She nodded. "So how do I get out of here?"  
>"Like this." He hit the enter key on his key board and she was suddenly sitting at a bus stop, a homeless man beside her. He looked surprised by her sudden appearance.<br>"Who are you?" He asked, scooting away from her.  
>"Excuse me sir, what state is this?"<br>"Ohio." He replied, then deciding he had imagined her teleportation, he looked away.  
>She nodded slowly. "Thank you."<br>She stood, walking towards the nearest corner. A taxi was pulling away from the stop light and she jumped in front of it, then once they stopped, she climbed into the back.  
>"Which way?" The driver asked, as Elena dug in her pockets for cash. "How much to get me to Michigan?"<br>"Michigan?" She asked, her eyes widening greatly. "Do you know how far that is?"  
>"No idea."<br>"We'll get there at seven if that gives you any clue!"  
>The time was now 5:00.<br>The driver seemed to consider something. "It'll cost at least a hundred."  
>"What?"<br>"No... Two-fifty. I need gas payments."  
>"150 dollars for gas?" She asked, knowing the driver was full of shit.<br>"You heard me. It's a long drive and I have a family to get home to. She looked Elena up and down. Actually, that jacket would do nicely."  
>"Hell no." She practically growled, glaring in a way that would scare anyone. The driver instantly backed off. She pulled the jacket tightly around her.<p>

Elena was ticked, but she took off her necklace, one her mother had given her. "Just get me there. I have family waiting too." Dean would have been upset and insisting she gave away the jacket instead, but why should she care? Her mom was dead anyways.  
>The driver stared down at the silver-emerald jewelry. "How much is it worth?"<br>"More than your life. Now drive."  
>The driver sped off in fear, hoping to make record timing to please her customer.<br>Elena drew the book from the jacket, opening it up to a random page. She looked down at the strange symbols, confused.  
>"The Enchion is in Enochian?" She mumbled. She didn't realize how closely the names were related until now.<br>She flipped through the pages, but didn't recognize anything. No English, no pictures. She sighed, tossing the book into the seat next to her. It was hopeless. She'd have to wait until she could call on Cas without scaring the living shit out of the taxi-driver… again…  
>She looked out the window for the rest of the ride, hoping Sam and Dean were still in the same motel room.<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's note: Last Piece of Love enjoyers... This is it, this is the end. UNLESS... You'd like to see a sequel fic? That one would feature the Deanmon coming back and the possible death of someone important... Plus you'd get to see more of the guardian angel (seen in this chapter) =O You might learn his name! Here's the s/10876211/1/Rising-Angel**  
><strong>Please enjoy the final chapter!<strong>  
>A knock sounded on the motel room door, and Dean glanced over to Sam, who had already prepared himself with a knife. "Did you forget to pay the room bill or is this something else?"<br>Sam shook his head, putting one hand on the door knob, the other grasping the knife tightly.  
>He opened the door a crack and it flung open, bouncing against the wall and coming back slowly.<br>"I'm back!" Elena called, placing her foot back on the ground from having kicked open the door. Dean stood up from where he sat. She hugged Sam first, ruffling his hair.  
>Then she met the green eyes that stared back at her silently.<br>"Dean."  
>"I thought you said you'd be home soon."<br>"I didn't know a day here was half an hour in Hell." She said, slightly annoyed.  
>"It's been a week."<br>"It's been three and a half hours, plus the two I had to take on my way here. Lucky I was in Ohio. So it was five and a half hours." She argued back. They drew a truce as he walked quickly and she ran to meet his embrace, him lifting her up and squeezing her tightly. She laughed and he kissed her, while he placed her back down.  
>"This yours?" She asked, taking off his jacket. He smiled and tossed it onto the bed, falling so that he landed on top of her. They kissed again, their lost time transferred to each other.<br>"Wow. So um, I'm gonna go over there. Yeah." Sam left, grabbing a pair of keys off of the table, almost tripping as he rushed out the door.  
>Dean smiled down at Elena, and she smiled back, both of them truly happy for the time they'd been gone from each other.<br>"You need to shave." She laughed, running a hand down his stubbled face. He smirked.  
>"I'll shave when I want to."<br>He placed a hand in the small of her back, kissing her deeply, and her hand brushed through his hair. His scent was the same, slightly smokey and a lot of leather. He didn't wear cologne, but she knew this was enough.

He lifted her up and into his arms, carrying her outside next to the Impala, where he put her back down. She took a step closer to him, placing her hands under her arms. "Asshole. It's freezing out here." She leaned against the Impala and he leaned there next to her. "Where are we going?"  
>"Food." Dean replied.<br>She cracked a smile. _Figures._ She thought.  
>"What good restaurants do they have around here?" She asked.<br>"Nice one down the road. I've heard they have good pie, but I think we should check it out."  
>"A self-hired pie critic." She mumbled, and he grinned.<br>They both climbed into the black car, and she held her hands next the heater when the car started up. Some sort of combination of pop music and hip-hop came on and Dean shut off the radio instantly. "Damn it, Sammy." He mumbled and Elena laughed as he spun the radio dial and pressed play, filling the car with rock and roll.  
>Elena tapped her hand against her thigh to the beat, in time with Dean's singing. She'd heard the exact same song play over and over again but it made him happy, and she liked the music anyways.<br>They arrived at the food joint, Elena letting out a small laugh. "Riley's diner?"  
>"What? Not good enough?" He looked slightly disappointed and also defensive of his choice.<br>"No, it's great. Maybe you _can_ make good food decisions."  
>He looked triumphant as he came out of the car confidently, walking over to her side where she had already climbed out. They clasped hands, trying to warm each other by standing close.<p>

It had started snowing, and as soon as they were in the warm restaurant they both wiped the white ice off of their clothes and hair. Somebody took them to a booth and they sat beside each other.

A waitress strutted over confidently, placing both hands on the table and leaning as close as she could to Dean who sat on the outside. She smiled, her far-too-white teeth practically blinding them. Green-blue gum bounced between her teeth as she asked what she could start them off with. Her boobs were about to fall out of her shirt.  
>Dean scooted closer to Elena, hiding his face with the menu. "You got any beer?" He asked.<br>"Yes we do. You drink free." She winked at him.  
>"Great, I'll take two."<br>She completely ignored Elena as she walked away.  
>"Thanks." Elena mumbled, knowing the second was for her. She kissed him, and as the waitress was returning, she kissed him deeper, hands around his neck, flaunting their relationship to the slut.<br>She mentally laughed as the waitress slammed own the alcohol, leaving in a huff. Dean seemed to not notice the waitress being upset.  
>He popped the tabs and they both took a swig, as a new waiter showed up.<br>"What will we be having?" He asked, holding a pen to the order paper. He stood tall and proud, but unfortunately, something was off.  
>"Burger, extra onions." Dean said, leaning back in his seat. He could tell that Elena had noticed the signs of a supernatural being in the waiter.<br>"Same." She said automatically, knowing Dean would order something good. "And by the way, where are the restrooms?" She asked, and the waiter pointed her to a back hallway. "Thank you."  
>Dean stood to let her pass and he slid something into her back pocket as she passed. It felt like a knife.<br>She walked briskly to the hallway, knowing the waiter was on her tail. Instead of turning at the women's room, she walked further and took a left into storage. When she turned, she was met by the server. She drew the knife, holding it tightly, in a fighting stance.  
>"This isn't the bathroom." He said, stepping away from the door, and holding his hand out, encouraging her to leave. She was confused. "Aren't you going to kill me?" She asked.<br>"Kill you?" He asked, and now he was confused.  
>"Aren't you a demon?"<br>"Exactly." He said. "I was sent by Lebidoff to protect you."  
>"Lebi-?" She suddenly remembered the name tag on the desk of the demon in Hell. The one that had 'hired' her. "Oh, right. Lebidoff."<br>"So... Have you taken his soul yet?"  
>"Who's?"<br>"That man out there."  
>"Oh, I was actually going to do it quite soon." She laughed. Kissing Dean in front of the demon would be fine enough. If she killed this demon, it would be obvious to the Lebidoff guy that she was a hunter.<br>"Well thank you." She said awkwardly, and left. He turned to continue down the hallway to the kitchen, and she scooted in next to Dean.  
>"He's connected to Hell. I can't kill him, or an entire office of demons will be after me."<br>He didn't understand but he nodded. "If we can't kill him, then what do we do?"  
>"Nothing. He says he's here to protect me."<br>They ate in silence, both noticing the demon's close watch. He treated them well, not handing them a bill as they left, but they both noticed him now that they and come face to face with him. He watched them from the side of the road as they drove by.  
>"This is creepy." Elena mumbled, adjusting the container of pie below her feet so that it wouldn't fall over.<br>"Should we kill him and lock you up in a bunker until they come for you?"  
>"No. I'm not spending any time in a closed space for long ever again." She mumbled, and the car fell silent, and they both knew she hadn't meant to reference his time as a demon.<br>"I'm sorry." He apologized.  
>"No, Dean, I shouldn't have said it." He wrapped an arm around her with his other hand on the steering wheel. "Let's just go home, alright?" He asked hopefully.<br>"Dean, we are home" she spread her hands out to the Impala. "The only thing that stayed the same through all this Hell." He smiled a little, cheered up.  
>"You, me, and Sammy. Living in a car on the side of the road somewhere. I can see it now." He said jokingly, and she punched his arm.<br>"No, really. This is your home, where you guys belong when you don't have a place to go."  
>He nodded. "I know."<br>They got back to the motel, and they spotted Sam pull in just after they did. They both sat behind the car, waiting, and as soon as Sam got near enough, Dean chucked a snowball at him. It hit his shoulder and he jumped slightly, looking their way, confused. Dean taught Elena how to make a snowball, she had never seen snow before, and they continued pelting Sam until he caught on. He was secretly piling snow onto the top of the Impala, ever so slowly to avoid their notice. As soon as there was a large stack, he pushed it on top of them, and they ended up buried and shivering.  
>"Jeez, it's cold out there." Elle laughed as they piled, cold and wet, back into the room. Sam placed down a shopping bag, and he pulled out a few packets of hot chocolate. Dean and Elena covered themselves with blankets on the couch while Sam was mostly warm and content, making them drinks.<br>It was as if they were a normal family. Except they all knew the pain was still there.  
>After they finished, they lied down to sleep, and Elena cuddled up to Dean, as the apartment was slightly cold.<br>The sun rose, bringing with it, light. That light burned Sam's eyes as he opened them, the curtains still drawn wide, allowing it to blind him as he woke.  
>He flipped over and looked to the bed beside his, Elena and Dean lying side-by-side. He noticed his brother was awake, and he whispered "Dean?"<br>His brother looked over, exhausted. "Yeah?"  
>"We should call Cas." Sam sat up slowly, looking over to where the book lay on the table.<br>"I know." Dean said. He knew today would have to be the day.  
>Sam said Castiel's name aloud, practically shouting it, and the angel was there, standing by the door. He looked down to the sleeping Elena, who was oblivious to the conversation around her, still fast asleep.<br>"So we doing this today?" Sam asked, pointing towards Elena and Dean.  
>Castiel nodded. "It's time."<br>"Don't have to sound so ominous." Dean said sarcastically, tossing the book to Cas, who caught it gingerly.  
>"Don't throw the book." He said, upset.<p>

Dean looked skeptical.

"If you damage it, all of heaven and hell will be after you."  
>"Like that hasn't happened already." Dean smirked, and so did his brother.<br>Cas opened up the book, reading the Enochian symbols carefully.  
>"Deterrance was killed, breaking the blood-bond. This is the only way known to break the bond. There are no other possibilities or hope for saving either blood-bound entity." Castiel spoke in a serious tone.<br>Sam looked lost, hurt, and confused all in one. Dean looked horrified, and looked from Cas to the book. "What?"  
>"Ha. I was joking." The angel smiled up at him.<br>"Don't be that serious when you're telling a joke, Cas." He said, still slightly shaken.  
>"We need to extract your blood from Elena." He looked down at it, and flipped a page. "A painful process." He shut the book and held it in between his hands as he sat on the bed beside Elena.<br>"And?" Asked Dean, knowing there was something else.  
>"If we don't do it correctly, she'll become... Something else."<br>"Like what?" Sam asked, sitting on the sofa next to Dean.  
>"It doesn't matter. We won't mess up."<br>Elena began screaming on the first try. Castiel had sliced a small cut onto her arm after waking her up. The idea was that Castiel would draw out the blood using his grace. The dark-red fluid drew out of her arm slowly, and her veins blackened up to her right shoulder, and began to crawl up her neck. Her eyes had turned blood red, and her head snapped towards Dean.  
>"Sam, take Dean and leave."<br>"What? Why?" asked Dean, as Sam grabbed his arm.  
>"The blood is taking control and she can smell you. In this close proximity, she'll stop at nothing to gain the lost blood. You need to get out so I can restrain her."<br>Sam had to drag Dean from the room, who hadn't wanted to leave.  
>"Dean, she's not Elle right now. We need to wait until Cas is done."<br>Dean nodded, barely hearing a thing his brother told him. He could still hear the anguished and pained cries of Elena from the room.

Castiel drew more blood, holding her down with both arms now, also using a leg to hold down her legs. She pushed against him, struggling to knock him off of her as he pulled the blood from her cut.  
>"Elena, you need to calm down."<br>Her teeth had grown into fangs, not like a vampire, but more like a snakes, every single tooth a sharp one. Her hand had become a mess of claws, which she was attempting to use.  
>She thrashed and kicked at him, yelling angrily.<p>

She managed to get an arm loose, her talons coming for him and it sliced into his chest, blood pouring over his white shirt and coat. He couldn't heal himself since he had to hold her down, and he winced in pain, a slight gasp escaping his lips.  
>Elena's breathing suddenly slowed, her dark red eyes gleaming. She stared at the red on his shirt.<br>"Cas. I'm sorry." She said, blood pouring from her eyes in place of tears. "I didn't mean to."  
>"I know." He mumbled, still feeling the pain firing through his body.<br>Her hand changed, morphing back to its original form. She placed it on his chest and the blood was pulled back into the wound, and the pain suddenly ceased. Castiel's eyes widened

"What did you do?"

"I don't know." She winced against the pain, letting a small noise escape her throat. "Why wasn't I like this before?" She asked, flinching as he began to draw the blood faster.  
>"It's instinct to fight the hardest before death."<br>She nodded, the pain enormous, like someone was tearing off her skin. She looked up to him.  
>"Cas, why do you look so-" she gasped out in pain. "-worried?" She finished, her breathing heavy. The blood that had come out of her body began to disappear, and she wondered where he was sending it.<br>"I'm hoping."  
>"For what?" She asked.<br>"The book said I'd have to restrain you the entire time. It also said that if I did it wrong, you'd...change." He finished.  
>"Into what?"<br>"An angel." He responded. "The ritual is close enough to the forbidden one of creating angels, so close, that it could immediately change."  
>"I don't feel very holy. Maybe it's because I fought against the blood? He didn't give me enough to bind me completely, did he?" She questioned, wondering what would happen if she was one of the angels.<p>

There was a pause as she sat up. "Would I still care?"  
>"Not as much as you could as a human." He spoke, almost sadly, and she knew he partly missed being a human. "Perhaps you're different from the other blood-monsters. You love the one that changed you, and care for the one that brought you back."<br>"Yeah." She said, and she felt a sudden rush of happiness as the pain drifted away to a dull throb.  
>She grabbed a tissue out of a box on the night stand, wiping the blood off of her face. "That was disgusting and painful." She said, using the tip of her finger to poke at her teeth. They were normal again.<br>"Thanks, angel." She kissed his forehead, hugging him tightly. He hugged her back.  
>"Elena, before you go... I want to test-" he cut himself off, as if unsure. "-your humanity." He finished. She nodded, but wasn't sure how he could test that.<br>He picked up the knife from the night stand, the one he had originally used in the blood pulling. He slid the blade across the skin of her arm, and she sucked in a breath.  
>"I need you to do what you did to me earlier. Do you remember?"<br>She seemed to consider for a moment. "Yeah. It was weird... These words came to me, but I didn't understand them at all."  
>"They might have been Enochian." He muttered, then turned towards her. "Try to remember those words, or pictures you received."<br>She closed her eyes, and placed a hand over the cut. "It might not work." She said, and pulled her hand back, still covered in blood.  
>Castiel placed a hand over the cut and it left suddenly, not even a scab left. She smiled, hugging him.<br>"So was that just some miracle of blood-monster-ness or something else?"  
>"My theory is that because my grace was closely interacting with your soul, you were able to channel it."<br>"I didn't know that was possible." She said, staring down at her hand in disbelief.  
>"Neither did I."<br>She walked out with Castiel, rushing into Dean's arms.  
>"I'm not an angel!" She said happily, and he looked down confused.<br>"Are you all right, or did he screw with your sanity?"  
>"Pretty sure we're all insane here, Dean." She kissed him. "And no, I seriously could have become an angel if Cas had messed up."<br>She hugged Sam next.  
>"I'm glad you're all right." He said.<br>"Same. Sorry for all the trouble, Samoose."  
>"That name is not okay." He said, slightly upset<p>

"Is Moosam, better? No, I like Samoose."

"That's not cool either."

She laughed a little, parting.  
>She turned towards Castiel. "Next time come when we call." She said, hugging him again. "I might pray tomorrow."<br>He smiled, and then was gone.  
>Elena turned towards the two men, who were now arguing over something stupid.<br>"Sammy, I'm not that stupid."  
>"Dean, we need to-"<br>Elena smacked them both in the back of the heads simultaneously. "Stop arguing. What's the problem?"  
>Sam pointed to a newspaper claiming there had been three disappearances in a week, two found dead.<br>"So then what's the argument about?"  
>"I think it's a ghost, with that exact evidence, but Sam over here keeps saying 'it could be something else.' I know how to tell if it's a ghost or not."<br>Elena sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Sam's right, it could turn out to be something else, but so is Dean. It probably is a ghost."  
>"So are we going to deal with it?" Dean took the paper from her, reading it over again.<br>"Where at?"  
>"Indiana." Sam responded.<br>"Sounds like a plan. Our first hunt after all that Hell and back stuff." She smiled and they headed to the motel room to pack what little belongings they had.  
>"Elle." Dean said, stopping her while Sam continued on, letting them have their private time. "What exactly happened in there?"<br>She breathed out. "I found a way to channel angel grace, but I'm not entirely sure how it works."  
>He nodded, thinking.<br>"Do you think this will lead to anything…different?" He asked, almost sounding afraid.  
>"No. But he might." She looked just beyond his shoulder and he slightly turned, noticing the demon watching her again.<br>"There's a reason he hasn't told Lebidoff yet." She mumbled, trying to figure it out.  
>"So what is he now, some creep demonic stalker?" He asked.<br>"I don't think he was actually hired by any one to watch me. I'll be back." He watched he carefully, making sure the demon wouldn't try anything.  
>She approached him, and he looked up to her, waiting.<br>"Lebidoff didn't hire you, did he?"  
>The demon shook his head. "You think I'd take orders from him?" He leaned in close to her ear. "I wanted to watch you. But I guess it's done now."<br>"What's done? Why were you watching me?"  
>"I heard the angel speak to you of me. I first started watching you when I realized what you were. A blood-monster."<br>She nodded. "So? Who are you, really?"  
>"An illegal angel. I was brought back like you were, except it failed. I was a follower of Deterrance."<br>She nodded her head slowly. "So because it failed, you became an illegally created angel?"  
>"Yes." He said, seeming ashamed of it. "The only way to redeem myself was to take up position of an angel. I've been placed in one of the lowest ranks of angels. A guardian."<br>"Then shouldn't you be watching someone else?"  
>"In order to keep my eye on you, I requested a transfer that was granted. Now I'm your guardian angel, but now that I'm done with you, I'll be requesting another change."<br>"Good." She said, glad that her transition hadn't failed.  
>"Thank you, by the way." He told her. "For not making the same mistake I did."<br>"What?"  
>"When you were changing, you probably felt the urge to rip the heart out of your angel friend. But you didn't give in to it. That's the reason my extraction failed. I gave in to the blood's desires."<br>"Oh." She said, remembering the want, the need, to kill Castiel.  
>"I do have one question before I leave you though."<br>"What is that?"  
>"What was it that kept you sane during the blood-binding?"<br>"What?"  
>"While you were a monster, you didn't worship your master like you should have been. You should have been on your knees, willing to serve him faithfully. Why didn't you?"<br>"I don't serve anyone, and it especially wouldn't be a master as lazy as him." She glanced Dean's way. "But I guess because I'm the real leader."  
><em>'You hate having to be the strong one.'<em>  
>She remembered when demon Dean had told her that.<br>He was right then, but now she was glad. She was strong for them, and that's what gave her that strength in the first place.  
>She smiled. "I loved my 'master' far before I became that thing. It's how I became one. I loved him too much to let him go."<br>He nodded slowly. "I might never understand what you mean, but know that if you and him don't work out..." He handed her a small card. "Call me."  
>'Your Guardian angel' was inscribed on the card. "Didn't realize angels could flirt."<br>"This one can." He smiled widely. "See you then."  
>She crossed back over to Dean when he left, hugging him tightly.<br>"Everything's good?" He asked, and she nodded.  
>"Thanks Dean. And I'm sorry for everything."<br>"Don't get all sad on me." He told her, pulling her back. "I don't need to say 'your welcome' or 'apology accepted.' Alright?"  
>She nodded, laughing a little.<br>"I love you." She said.  
>"I love you more." He told her.<br>They held hands to the room and Sam was waiting by the locked door, all bags already packed and ready to go.  
>"Thanks Sammy." Dean said, and they carried the bags to the impala, tossing them into the trunk. Elena climbed in back, stretching out so she'd get some sleep on their drive.<br>"Don't get any dirt in my baby." He warned Sam as he climbed in. "I know there's mud over there, I saw it."  
>Sam rolled his eyes.<br>"Jerk."  
>"Bitch."<br>"Shut up." Elena added as she listened to their stupid sass-battle.  
>As soon as they were on the road, Dean chose his normal five repeated albums, and Sam looked down at a map, trying to direct Dean, who wasn't paying attention at all.<br>Elena shut her eyes, exhausted and weak from everything that had happened in the past weeks. The life of a Winchester. Unfortunately they'd have more shit to deal with, probably tougher than this.  
>Dean stared out the front window, a thought burning his mind. He knew it was a long way off, but he also knew it was spiraling out of control, and he could feel the small tug of darkness. Saying 'nothing' to Sam would work, but he wouldn't be able to avoid Elena's notice.<p>

_I'm going to be a demon again._

**(Link to sequel: s/10876211/1/Rising-Angel )  
>[I hope you liked that cliff-hanger :D ]<strong>


End file.
